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Digital retinal photography

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noblehead said:
Type 2 diabetes can go undetected for a a long time and you just don't know if some damage has occurred already, that is why regular eye screening tests for diabetic retinopathy is important (for all diabetics I must add).
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So when people reverse their type 2 they are then taken of diabetics register no long diabetic and won't be sent for screening . Which tells me that its a big con and just a money making lie .
 
WackyJacky64 said:
So when people reverse their type 2 they are then taken of diabetics register no long diabetic and won't be sent for screening . Which tells me that its a big con and just a money making lie .
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Whatever you want to believe @WackyJacky64, but do keep in mind that members here are trying to be helpful & supportive to you.
 
noblehead said:
Whatever you want to believe @WackyJacky64, but do keep in mind that members here are trying to be helpful & supportive to you.
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I have noticed they're helpful , but i don't like the attitude of one person who told me my husband would go blind if he didn't go for the retinal screening . I could say the same about them that they will lose their legs but i wouldn't be so nasty .
 
WackyJacky64 said:
I have noticed they're helpful , but i don't like the attitude of one person who told me my husband would go blind if he didn't go for the retinal screening . I could say the same about them that they will lose their legs but i wouldn't be so nasty .
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I've edited that comment, but you do have to realise that diabetic retinopathy is a very serious condition and it can be sight threatening if not picked up early and controlled.
 
Eye screening is a key part of your diabetes care. If you have diabetes, your eyes are at risk of damage from diabetic retinopathy, a condition that can lead to sight loss if it's not treated.

Diabetic retinopathy occurs when diabetes affects small blood vessels, damaging the part of the eye called the retina. When the blood vessels in the central area of the retina (the macula) are affected, it is known as diabetic maculopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common causes of sight loss among people of working age.

However, you may not know that you have diabetic retinopathy as it does not usually cause any noticeable symptoms in the early stages.

Screening is a way of detecting the condition early before you notice any changes to your vision.

If retinopathy is detected early enough, treatment can stop it getting worse. Otherwise, by the time symptoms become noticeable, it can be much more difficult to treat.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Diabetes/Pages/diabetic-eye-screening.aspx
 

Thanks , so the diabetic patients who have had the retinal screening at their opticians haven't had the same screening as the NHS give ? I had retinal screening done at my opticians in April with the drops in my eyes , my vision was blurry for a while but not for hours on end like i have been told , so what do i believe ? I'm trying to find out what the procedure is and one person says they used their opticians then another says it isn't the same test .
 
This article explains the procedure and also includes a section on the eye drops:-

Do the Drops have any effects?
  • The drops may cause some stinging but should wear off after a few seconds.
  • They will take 15 minutes to work after which your photographs will be taken.
  • After about 15 minutes your sight may be slightly brighter and blurry and it will be difficult to focus on objects near to you.
  • This will last for between 2 - 6 hours and will affect your ability to drive.
You should not drive to and from your appointment.

http://www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/en/...ng/Diabetic-Eye-Screening----The-Examination/
 
When I had my first diabetic retinopathy checkup my eyesight was blurry for less than an hour. It was funny, as I was playing a game on my phone waiting for the drops to kick in, and suddenly had the "jewels" blur in front of my eyes! However not all people react the same, and it could take up to 6 hours for your eyes to get back to normal. BTW, it's just some drops - the NHS don't do anything to your eyes, just take photos of the back of the retina once your pupils have dilated.

Also, this test I have never had at my normal opticians, not even in preparation for laser eye surgery which I had a few years ago (elective - I don't have to wear glasses any more!).
 

I know this , but there is a member on here that has had the test at his regular opticians because the surgery that used to perform it closed .
I want my husband to get it done i really do . He is going to ask if he can get it done at our regular opticians as he trusts them .

I don't think we have much confidence with our GP at the moment with the speed they diagnosed him and then the offers of blood pressure medication when not needed and then cholesterol medication when not needed .
I'm not trying to be awkward and don't mean to offend anyone , but there seems to be a lot of rushed decisions with this diagnosis .
 
I asked the eye consultant when accompanying my son for his tests (nothing to do with diabetes) as I had had a letter from my local optician about them now doing eye screening, he said it's ok if I wanted to go but not as thorough - his words were it's like comparing a ready meal to a home cooked meal.

As a side note my dad has age related wet MC and is under the consultant for injections to his eyes he goes every 2 months for the last few years, he is almost blind but still has the retinal testing as they look for different things,

I think you have had lots of good advice here and it's up to your hubby if he goes or not but after watching my dad struggle with the loss of his sight I know what I would do!
 


He is asking the doctor if he can have it done at the opticians , they hinted that it is sometimes done there and didn't say it was not as thorough .
They use the same machine as our opticians. I'm thinking a bit of anxiety has kicked in so we're taking it slowly and if it means the retinal test at the opticians then its a start isn't it .
 
This may help you and hubby decide - but yes I agree with you if he will only go to the optician it's better than not going at all, I do understand if he has lost trust with the GP it can be difficult

http://www.uhs.nhs.uk/Media/Control...es/Diabeticeyescreeningpatientinformation.pdf

The couple of paragraphs that may interest you

Can the opticians check for diabetic retinopathy instead?
Whilst opticians may be able to see some diabetic changes, the screening programme is an accredited and quality assured service. Opticians working outside the screening programme may not hold these accreditations. All screening programme staff undergo training in diabetic eye disease and specialist eye doctors who work in the programme can make direct referrals to the eye unit if necessary.
Who assesses the photographs of my retina?
Your photographs are assessed by fully trained graders that have been approved by the National Diabetic Eye Screening Programme. They have undergone specific training and complete tests once a month to ensure they are consistently meeting high standards. We work closely with specialist eye doctors who may assess the images if they are at a referable level and are on hand to offer advice if needed.
 
I had my retinal screening a few weeks ago. Was told at the time they couldn't see any problem and it was fine to get my eyes checked at optician. Optician also told me all fine. Letter came saying background retinopathy so obviously their screening program picks up things that are not obvious on screen. I just know for me that it will be important to go for future checks.
 
WackyJacky64 said:
wow and then he is expected to willingly go and let the NHS mess with his sight .
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The NHS is not messing with his sight! The drops are used because they're needed to dilate the pupil so that the retina can be clearly seen and properly examined. It's a standard procedure. The sunglasses are recommended because the drops may keep the eyes dilated for a few hours and during that time they can't properly protect themselves from bright light - the sunglasses are purely a safeguard.

The scans he's being offered are (or have been in my case) been done a dedicated hospital technician, and the resulting scans/photos are then examined by specialist consultants, who will have been trained to know more about what they are looking for than an optician would.

I've had similar drops used regularly for a different eye issue over the last 13 years and I've never had any resultant problems from them, but I know if I'd refused the examinations I could easily have ended up blind in one eye due to lack of sufficient information to provide me with the correct treatment.

Robbity
 
Has your husband had a letter inviting him for Retinal Screening?
If he has then he has also had a list of Optomotrists who are qualified to do the test.
If his usual optician is on the list then he can have the test there.
(My optician is Specsavers.....Specsavers were on the list and they arranged my test.
The drops they use are to enlarge the pupils so the back of the eye can be photographed, when daylight hits enlarged pupils it can cause glare, sunglasses stop that glare happening.
I have this test for my diabetese and also a second time for another condition and I can honestly say it has never been a problem, or caused a problem.
I don't think the test you had yourself was the retinal screening because this is a test for registered Diabetics. So if you are not registered you will not get the same test. These days the normal eye test includes photography of the back of the eye, everyone has this done at a check up.
When the Retinopathy test is done those photographs are then sent away for further scrutiny and when I had mine done this year it was the second check that found a problem, not the optician.
If your husband has the test, the likelyhood is there will not be a problem, however if he refuses it and does not control his diabetese then eventually he will need help from the NHS and believe me they will not be messing with his sight they will be fighting to save it. The test takes less than an hour, plus a couple of hours of blurred vision, is it really worth the risk. By the way, the listed Optometrists on the list are NHS registered and you get a quicker appointment there than a hospital and it's exactly the same test either way.


 
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I'm new to Diabetes, and had my eyes tested a couple of weeks ago, yes it stung a bit and yes you need to wear sunglasses for an hour or so afterwards, and no he won't be able to drive home after it is done.
But, I personally believe it is worth the slight discomfort to check that his eyes are healthy, then to go back once a year to compare the photographs will bring up the slightest change, the test doesn't take long either, not like a normal opticians.
I hope he changes his mind and goes for the test, all you can do is encourage him.
 


Well for now he is in a state of anxiety as his mother is seriously ill also and she is also diabetic and celiac , so he isn't feeling on top of the world and said he doesn't want to add more to his woes, he is also anaemic and has ear wax build up which is causing him pain and it is taking a long time to soften before the nurse can clear them . He is really under the weather right now seems lots of things came at once . So at least i have convinced him to at least have his eyes done at the opticians which use the same machine and I'm sure they know what they're doing also as a lot of people have praised them for finding problems which was caused by diabetes so they must know what to look for too .
 
We'll see what happens thanks for the replies everyone .
 
Also, Once diagnosed you never get rid of diabetes, all you can do is control it.
So the it's no con or money making scheme for anyone, I fact it costs the NHS millions a year.
 
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