WHAT IS DIABETIC SCREENING AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?
Diabetic screening is a key part of your diabetes care and is used to diagnose diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy does not have any noticeable symptoms during it’s early stages and therefore can be diagnosed as a result of your diabetic eye screening test with Stotts. We cannot stress the importance of Diabetic screening enough – detecting the condition early enough before you notice any changes to your vision is of utmost importance to your health. If retinopathy is detected early enough by your Diabetic screening, treatment can stop it from progressing and getting worse. Otherwise, by the time symptoms become noticeable, it can be much more difficult to treat. Here at Stotts we will provide our expert knowledge and services if you are to have a Diabetic screening, and offer our support if you have any queries concerning Diabetic Screening.
USEFUL FAQS
At what age can I have a Diabetic screening?
The NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme was introduced to ensure that everyone aged 12 and over with diabetes is offered screening once a year.
How long will my appointment last?
Your appointment with us tends to last approximately 30 – 45 minutes.
Your optician will give you eye drops to enlarge your pupils, which takes around between 15 – 20 minutes, and we also take photographs of your eyes. Each time the photograph is taken there will be a flash of light, but the camera will not touch your eye. The light from the camera will be bright, however it should not be uncomfortable.
Do I need somebody to accomapny me to my appointment?
After about 15 minutes your vision will be blurred slightly from the eye drops which can last from 2 – 6 hours depending on each individual patient. It may be advised that somebody therefore drives you to and from your appointment.
Will I need to bring anything with me?
We would advise that you bring your distance glasses with you as you will need to wear these for your sight test.
After your Diabetic screening, you may find things to look a little bright which is completely normal – you may want to take a pair of sunglasses to wear afterwards.
When will I get my results?
Within six weeks, both you and your GP should receive a letter letting you know your results.
As your results will need to be studied by a number of healthcare professionals, this is why you will not get your results immediately.
What will my results show?
Your screening results may show either:
• no retinopathy
• background retinopathy – also called stage one retinopathy
• degrees of referable retinopathy – this means that the retinopathy will need to be referred to a specialist for further assessment.
What will happen if I do have diabetic retinopathy?
If your screening shows that diabetic retinopathy is threatening your sight, we will provide you with all the information that you need on how far it has progressed and what type of treatment you will require.
What if my results do not show any retinopathy?
You will be invited to attend for another screening appointment a year later If your results show no retinopathy or background retinopathy.
We hope that this has helped however for more information on Diabetic screening please do not hesitate to contact us by visiting our contact us page.
We look forward to hearing from you soon and helping you further.