{"id":17155,"date":"2023-03-02T09:52:50","date_gmt":"2023-03-02T15:52:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=17155"},"modified":"2024-05-28T09:02:58","modified_gmt":"2024-05-28T14:02:58","slug":"quick-easy-eye-exam-helps-prevent-diabetic-retinopathy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/quick-easy-eye-exam-helps-prevent-diabetic-retinopathy\/","title":{"rendered":"Quick, easy eye exam helps prevent diabetic retinopathy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in the U.S. It\u00a0affects blood vessels in the\u00a0retina, which is the\u00a0light-sensitive\u00a0layer of\u00a0tissue\u00a0in\u00a0the back of\u00a0your\u00a0eye.<\/p>\n

\n

Keep an eye on your diabetes<\/p>\n

Talk to your primary care provider<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

If you have diabetes, you know it\u2019s important to stay physically active,\u00a0eat\u00a0healthy, and\u00a0take\u00a0your medicine, but\u00a0it\u2019s also important to\u00a0get a dilated eye exam at least once a year.<\/p>\n

OSF HealthCare is now making it easier for people with diabetes to get the eye exam to detect diabetic retinopathy early when steps can be taken to protect their vision.<\/p>\n

OSF uses IDx-DR developed by Digital Diagnostics. IDx-DR uses artificial intelligence-based technology to detect diabetic retinopathy, including macular edema. The technology takes photos of the back of retina and uses artificial intelligence to evaluate the extent of damage to blood vessels. The test typically takes a few minutes and in most, but not all cases, doesn\u2019t require eyes be dilated. It\u2019s available at 32 OSF Medical Group primary care offices in communities served by OSF.<\/p>\n

Mark Meeker, DO, vice president of Community Medicine for OSF, said the convenience means people with diabetes can catch and manage their diabetic retinopathy earlier, which can prolong and even save vision.<\/p>\n

Diabetic retinopathy causes and symptoms<\/h2>\n

Diabetic retinopathy\u00a0is caused by high\u00a0blood sugar\u00a0due to diabetes.\u00a0Having too much sugar in your blood over time can damage the\u00a0retina.<\/p>\n

The early stages of diabetic retinopathy usually\u00a0don\u2019t have any\u00a0symptoms.\u00a0Some people\u00a0may notice changes in their vision, like trouble reading or seeing faraway objects.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0later\u00a0stages, blood vessels in the retina start to bleed\u00a0into the vitreous (gel-like fluid that fills your eye).\u00a0This may cause\u00a0floating spots\u00a0or\u00a0streaks\u00a0that look like cobwebs.\u00a0Sometimes, the\u00a0spots clear\u00a0up\u00a0on their own\u00a0\u2014 but\u00a0it\u2019s important to get treatment right away.<\/p>\n

Regular exams needed<\/h2>\n

With busy schedules and work demands, Dr. Meeker stresses it\u2019s important to make exams as convenient as possible. IDx-DR makes in-office testing quick and easy. The artificial intelligence makes it more accurate than a typical eye exam given in a primary care setting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe AI can see the early changes of diabetic retinopathy that we may not be able to see with our own eyes,\u201d Dr. Meeker said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s nothing as good as prevention. And the way you prevent it, is to tightly control the diabetes to begin with,\u201d Dr. Meeker said. \u201cSo as soon as we see those retinopathy changes, if we can really get the attention of the patient to really pay attention to their sugar control, we can decrease that progression through prevention, not just through treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in the U.S. It\u00a0affects blood vessels in the\u00a0retina, which is the\u00a0light-sensitive\u00a0layer of\u00a0tissue\u00a0in\u00a0the back of\u00a0your\u00a0eye. Keep an eye on your diabetes Talk to your primary care provider If you have diabetes, you know it\u2019s important to stay physically active,\u00a0eat\u00a0healthy, and\u00a0take\u00a0your medicine, but\u00a0it\u2019s also important to\u00a0get a dilated eye […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":17157,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[663],"tags":[1163],"coauthors":[688],"class_list":["post-17155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diabetes","tag-artificial-intelligence"],"yoast_head":"\nQuick, easy eye exam helps prevent diabetic retinopathy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you have diabetes, it's important to\u00a0get a dilated eye exam at least once a year to help detect early signs of diabetic retinopathy.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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