The retina is the back part of your eye and is the only place in the body where blood vessels can be seen directly. The retina can also show signs of other diseases such as stroke, heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes in addition to eye conditions such as:
These conditions can show on your retina long before you notice any changes to your vision or feel any pain. An eye exam generally involves a look at the front of your eye to assess health and prescription changes, but a thorough retinal examination is crucial to make sure your eye is healthy.
Pictures of the back part of the eye will also help to determine whether there are any irregularities with the retina or if it's an issue with the optic nerve. Eyecare specialist educate the patient on what optometrists see and what the problem areas are, and if a referral is required, they provide the patient with the images.
It is important to note that despite its usefulness for diabetic screening, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AA) and the American Optometric Association (AOA) still recommend that diabetics have a dilated eye exam at least once a year.
Optomap's high-resolution images also allow for a personal benchmark to be set for ocular health and allow for detection of sudden changes over time, and since the images are displayed automatically on your computer screen, you can easily see everything eye doctor is telling you about your eye health, allowing you to take an active role in protecting your valuable vision.
Having a benchmark allows for the detection of small changes that may not be remembered from eye exam to eye exam or may be hard to identify from clinical notes. By comparing old images, eye doctors can track the smallest changes. Early detection of eye disease is critical to prevent permanent vision loss. In rare cases, an Optomap retinal examination may reveal serious conditions, such as eye or brain tumors. The results of an Optomap retinal exam provide early warning signs of developing eye diseases, enabling preventative measures to stop or slow down their progression. Over time, monitoring the eye for any changes ensures that the treatment plan provides long-term eye health benefits.
