How is diabetes-related retinopathy diagnosed?

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How is diabetes-related retinopathy diagnosed?

An eye doctor (ophthalmologist) can diagnose diabetes-related retinopathy during a simple exam.

  • Visual acuity: Acuity refers to how clearly you can see.
  • Intraocular pressure to make sure there are no signs of glaucoma.
  • Eye muscle function: Muscle function refers to how well you can move your eyes.
  • Peripheral vision: Peripheral vision is seeing from the sides of your eyes.
  • Pupil response: This assessment looks at how your pupils react to light.

Then, your eye doctor will put drops into your eyes. The drops dilate (widen) your pupils (centers of the eyes).

During this exam, the doctor looks for:

  • Abnormal blood vessels.
  • Bleeding in the center of your eye.
  • Growth of new blood vessels.
  • Retina swelling.

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