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Diabetic eye test

I had my first retinal screening this morning. Everybody who was in the waiting seating area was called in for eyedrops first, then had to wait outside for about 15 minutes for eyes to dilate before being called in again for the pictures to be taken.
The man sitting next to me who had been before said they would then send the results to my GP.
 
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TakeItAway88 said:
Hi,

I've got my first eye test checking for signs of retinopathy tomorrow and to be honest I'm a little fearful.

1. It says on the letter that they have to put eye drops in your eyes? It also says it may sting and mess with your eyesight. Is this true? Someone told me not everyone has to do the eye drops but I don't know if it's true or not

2. What if they do find retinopathy? I've only just been diagnosed (July 2015). Is it even possible to get complications this early on?

Please help me alleviate my fears
Click to expand...
Hi I've just had my first one not that bad!
 
TakeItAway88 said:
Hi,

I've got my first eye test checking for signs of retinopathy tomorrow and to be honest I'm a little fearful.

1. It says on the letter that they have to put eye drops in your eyes? It also says it may sting and mess with your eyesight. Is this true? Someone told me not everyone has to do the eye drops but I don't know if it's true or not

2. What if they do find retinopathy? I've only just been diagnosed (July 2015). Is it even possible to get complications this early on?

Please help me alleviate my fears
Click to expand...

I had my eyes tested today, and like you was a bit worried, worried for nothing!!! put eye drops in, and yes it stung for about 5 secs, the more you blink the quicker it goes away, nothing to worry over m8
 
Avocado Sevenfold said:
I am in sunny Scotland. Here is a link to the info in my leaflet

http://www.nhsinform.co.uk/screening/diabeticretinopathy/takingthetest/
Click to expand...
Thank you, very interesting, I wondered if you might be in Scotland. One of the problems with not using dilating drops is that after the flash the pupil contracts so that any further pictures of that eye are usually too dark to assess. I believe the screening programme in Scotland only takes 1 photo per eye unlike the screening programme in England and Wales which takes 2 per eye. That would explain why not everyone would need drops in Scotland.
 
Dark Horse said:
Interesting. The UK National Screening Programme is based on every person being screened having their eyes dilated. May I ask what area you are in?
Click to expand...
Yeah see, I've never been offered them personally, but I can see why they would be needed.
Strange
 
Dark Horse said:
Thank you, very interesting, I wondered if you might be in Scotland. One of the problems with not using dilating drops is that after the flash the pupil contracts so that any further pictures of that eye are usually too dark to assess. I believe the screening programme in Scotland only takes 1 photo per eye unlike the screening programme in England and Wales which takes 2 per eye. That would explain why not everyone would need drops in Scotland.
Click to expand...

Screening this morning. Straight in without waiting, no drops, one flash per eye (I counted them lol). I said to the technician, "That was quick!" and she replied, "Yes, it is very quick if you don't need drops." There were a few people in the waiting room. I assume they were waiting to dilate and that is why I appeared to skip the queue so some people get drops, some don't.
 
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