Professional Eye Care for Patients with Diabetes in Halifax

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Help Safeguard Your Vision

A lot can happen once you find out you have diabetes. Not only will you have to be more aware of your blood sugar levels, you will have to monitor the type of food you eat, the amount of exercise you do, as well as the overall health of your eyes.

Over 11 million Canadians have one form of diabetes, and plenty of research has gone into the disease to help find effective management techniques to help minimize the impact of diabetes on their daily lives.

Diabetes raises your chances for developing a range of different eye diseases and conditions, and a lot of them can only be detected by having regular eye examinations. Our ultimate goal is to provide you healthy vision to last you your whole life.

Please book your appointment today!

Diabetes Raises Your Risk for Eye Disease

The importance of regular eye exams can not be overstated, especially if you have diabetes. However, diabetes is not something to be afraid of – it can be properly managed with the help of your healthcare team. When it comes to your vision, we want you to know how diabetes can affect your eye health as you progress through life.

With our help, you could slow or even halt the progression of sight-stealing eye diseases.

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease that is directly correlated with the development of diabetes. When you have diabetes, higher levels of glucose (sugar) in your blood can block tiny blood vessels inside of your retina. When these vessels are blocked, more delicate blood vessels begin to form. These new vessels can break and leak blood and other fluids into your retina, causing vision loss.
Vision loss caused by diabetic retinopathy can look like dark spots or strings floating in your vision, or it can cause your vision to become blurry.

If you suspect that diabetic retinopathy is developing, contact us immediately or visit your nearest emergency room.

A side-effect of diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema (DME), is a build-up of fluids leaking from broken vessels in the retina to the macula, causing vision loss. You can only experience DME if you already have diabetic retinopathy.

Open-angle glaucoma is one of the most common forms of glaucoma people can experience, and the risk of developing this disease can increase two-fold when you have diabetes.

Open-angle glaucoma is a form of glaucoma where the drainage canal funneling fluids out of your eyes is partially blocked, while the drainage angle between the iris and and cornea remains open. This allows for the slow increase of intraocular pressure inside the eye, which in turn can damage the optic nerve, causing vision loss.

Cataracts are often found to be a condition that develops as a reaction to ageing. However, the chance of cataracts forming increases when you have diabetes. For those who might not know, cataracts are a condition where the lens of your eye starts to become cloudy and grey over time. As you age, your lens becomes less flexible, allowing less light in through to the retina. Cataracts can also form as a result of injury or trauma to the eye.

While the chance of developing cataracts rises when you have diabetes, it is not generally considered to be a disease and is highly treatable thanks to modern medications and surgeries.

Please speak to your optometrist today if you have any concerns about developing cataracts.

How We Help Our Patients with Diabetes

Fundus photography is a tool employed by optometrists to get a highly detailed view of your inner eye, specifically of the retina, but can also spot potential issues that could develop with your macula or optic disc. A fundus camera is a powerful tool that can help optometrists spot early signs of diabetic retinopathy or diabetic macular edema.

Ocular coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging system that captures highly detailed pictures of your retina. These cross-sectional images utilize the light waves to help your eye care professional see distinctive layers of the retina and help guide the treatment process of diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.

An Eye Exam Can Save Your Vision!

The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends visiting your optometrist at least annually for a routine eye exam if you have diabetes. Eye exams are your first line of defence against potential ocular health issues, and it is up to you to make sure you have the help you need.

Simply book your appointment and we can take care of the rest!

Book Your Appointment

Visit Our Practice & See For Yourself

Nestled only a few blocks away from the Halifax Waterfront, Ocean Optometry is located just off the corner of Blowers Street and Grafton Street, the world famous Pizza Corner. Find out more here about where to park!

Address

5240 Blowers Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 1J7

Contact Information

Phone: 902.446.4470
Fax: 902.702.2505
[email protected]
Monday
9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday
10:00am – 4:00pm
Sunday
Closed

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