Fundoscopy: A Thorough Eye Examination

A common systemic disease that can be detected through eye evaluation is diabetes. When the body is unable to process sugar correctly, it leads to blood vessel damages, which leads to fluid leakage into body tissues, including the retina. Visual impairment is a frequent complication of diabetes.

According researchers, more than 70 percent of people with diabetes develop some diabetic eye disease after having the disease for 20 years. Diabetic eye disease can include cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal hemorrhages and retinal detachment. If the condition is not diagnosed and treated early, blindness often results.

Annual eye examinations including a dilated fundus evaluation are a critical component of diabetic care. Without dilation of the pupil, early stages of diabetic retinopathy may be missed. Through a dilated fundus evaluation, the changes that occur in retinopathy can be seen and monitored sooner. With early detection, these complications are more effectively managed. Studies show that 90 percent of blindness due to diabetes can be prevented with early detection and intervention.

The primary characteristic of diabetes is that it interferes with the body's ability to use and store sugar. This condition of inefficient sugar utilization by the body leads to high levels of blood sugar. Studies have conclusively shown that this excess sugar in the blood damages blood vessels. This kind of blood vessel damage is observed more in tiny blood vessels, and the ones in retina is a typical case. This condition is called diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy is often divided into two stages:

• Background, or nonproliferative retinopathy
• Proliferative retinopathy

Fundoscopy

A dilated fundus evaluation (DFE) is one way of doing a thorough eye test. DFE is an excellent means of detecting and assessing the signs of diseases of both the eye. It is a very useful, painless diagnostic tool that only takes an average of five minutes to perform.

The dilated fundus evaluation allows the practitioner to inspect the fundus, or back portion of the eye, which includes the retina, optic disc and blood vessels.

At the start of the procedure, medicated eyedrops are administered to dilate, or enlarge, the pupil and make the fundus easier to study. In a darkened examination room, the eyecare practitioner will focus an ophthalmoscope in each eye, one at a time. This test can help in detecting disease like:

Cataracts

-Cloudy Vitreous: The vitreous can become clouded and obscure vision by scattering light before it reaches the retina, which can be detected with this test.

-Retinal Tears and Detachment: A detached retina usually occurs when there is a tear, or hole, in the retina, allowing fluid to diffuse behind it and push the retina away from the wall of the eye.

-Optic Nerve Disease: When it becomes damaged or swollen from disease, sight is lost because the brain may not receive all of the necessary signals.

-Glaucoma: A leading cause of blindness, glaucoma results in damage to the optic nerve, usually associated with increased pressure within the eye.