Why is this Exam Mandatory?
If you have been diagnosed with Type 1, Type 2, or Gestational Diabetes, a routine vision check is not enough. You require a comprehensive Medical Eye Exam at least once a year.
Chronically high blood sugar damages the tiny, delicate blood vessels throughout your body. The only place in the human body where a doctor can non-invasively view these live blood vessels is inside your eye (the retina).
The Silent Threat
Diabetic eye disease has zero symptoms in its early stages. You can have 20/20 vision while your retina is actively bleeding. By the time you notice blurry vision or floaters, severe and often irreversible damage has already occurred.
Fluctuating Vision?
Do your glasses work perfectly one day, but leave everything blurry the next?
This is a major warning sign of uncontrolled blood sugar.When blood sugar spikes, the natural lens inside your eye absorbs fluid and swells, making you temporarily very nearsighted. When blood sugar drops, the lens deflates. If your vision changes from day to day, you need your A1C checked immediately.
State-of-the-Art Diagnostics
Inside Your Diabetic Evaluation
Dr. Fouladian utilizes the latest imaging technology to examine the microscopic structures of your retina.
Optomap® Ultra-Wide Imaging
A traditional exam only sees 15% of your retina at one time. The Optomap captures a high-resolution, 200° digital image of the back of your eye in less than a second. It often eliminates the need for annoying dilating drops and allows us to spot microscopic hemorrhages in the far periphery.
Pupil Dilation
In certain cases, pupil dilation is medically necessary to get a 3D view of the retina. We instill drops that widen your pupil, allowing Dr. Fouladian to use a specialized headset (Binocular Indirect Ophthalmoscope) to thoroughly examine the eye for newly formed, fragile blood vessels.
OCT Macular Scanning
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is like an ultrasound for the eye. It provides a cross-sectional view of your retinal layers, allowing us to detect hidden fluid or swelling in the macula (Diabetic Macular Edema) before it destroys your central vision.
What We Are Looking For
- Microaneurysms: Tiny, balloon-like swelling in the retinal blood vessels.
- Hemorrhages: Small dots or blots of blood leaking into the retinal tissue.
- Cotton Wool Spots: Fluffy white patches on the retina indicating areas where nerve fibers have died due to a lack of oxygen.
- Neovascularization: The growth of fragile, abnormal new blood vessels that can easily break and cause massive bleeding (Proliferative Retinopathy).
Diagnosing Diabetic Retinopathy
If Dr. Fouladian finds evidence of damage, he will grade the severity of your Diabetic Retinopathy from mild to severe.
The most common cause of vision loss is Diabetic Macular Edema (DME).This occurs when damaged blood vessels leak fluid directly into the macula (the center of the retina). This swelling warps your central vision, making it impossible to read, drive, or recognize faces.
Your Care Team
A Collaborative Medical Approach
Managing diabetes requires a team. Dr. Fouladian acts as your ocular diagnostic hub.
Primary Care Coordination
The only way to stop retinopathy from worsening is strict systemic control. After your exam, Dr. Fouladian generates a detailed medical report summarizing the health of your retinas and sends it directly to your Primary Care Physician (PCP) or Endocrinologist. This helps them accurately adjust your A1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol management plans.
Retina Specialist Referral
If Dr. Fouladian detects severe bleeding (Proliferative Retinopathy) or Macular Edema, time is of the essence. We will fast-track an urgent referral to an elite Retina Specialist in Los Angeles for sight-saving treatments, such as Anti-VEGF injections or Laser Photocoagulation.
Medical Insurance Billing
Because diabetes is a systemic disease, a diabetic eye exam is billed to your Medical Insurance (e.g., Medicare, Blue Cross, Aetna), NOT your routine Vision Plan (VSP/EyeMed). Standard specialist copays or deductibles determined by your medical carrier will apply.
Stay Ahead of the Disease
Do not wait for your vision to change. If you are diabetic, schedule your annual medical eye exam today.
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