Is retinal imaging worth it?
Retinal Imaging: Purpose, Procedure, Risks, Resutls
Retinal imaging takes a digital picture of the back of your eye. It shows the retina (where light and images hit), the optic disc (a spot on the retina that holds the optic nerve, which sends information to the brain), and blood vessels. This helps your optometrist or ophthalmologist find certain diseases and check the health of your eyes.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website weiqing.
Doctors have long used a tool called an ophthalmoscope to look at the back of your eye. Retinal imaging allows doctors to get a much wider digital view of the retina. It doesnt replace a regular eye exam or regular dilation but adds another layer of precision to it.
Who Gets This Test?
Your doctor may recommend it if you have any the following diseases or conditions:
Diabetes: This disease can damage the blood vessels in your retina. Over time, it causes you to lose your sight if it is not controlled.
Macular degeneration: The central part of your retina (the macula) starts to get worse with age. You may have blurry vision and find it harder to focus. If that happens, you may be considered legally blind even though you may still have peripheral vision. There are two kinds of macular degeneration: wet and dry.
Dry macular degeneration is by far the most common form of this disease (up to 90% of the cases). It happens when blood vessels under the retina become thin and brittle.
Abnormal blood vessels growing under the retina cause wet macular degeneration. Vision loss is usually fast.
Retinal imaging is very important in finding this type of macular degeneration.
Glaucoma: This disease damages your optic nerve (located in the retina) and may cause vision loss. It typically happens when fluid builds up in the front of your eye. It can cause blindness but it normally progresses slowly and can be treated with special eye drops to lower the pressure caused by the fluid.
Retinal Toxicity: The arthritis drug hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) can damage your retina.
Your doctor may also use retinal imaging if your vision is getting worse and they arent sure why.
Why Is Retinal Imaging Necessary?
These days, many eye care specialists offer retinal imaging, but most people are not sure if the service is necessary for them. Well, chances are that you may not need retinal imaging, but the test provides another way to examine your eye health in a more detailed way.
Retinal imaging can be helpful if you are at high risk for retinal illnesses. Your eye doctor may recommend the test if you have diabetes, retinal toxicity, macular degeneration, or glaucoma. Please note that the test is not a substitute for a regular eye checkup. It allows a broader and more accurate look at your retina to detect eye diseases early.
What Is Retinal Imaging?
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Laser Retinal Imaging.
Retinal imaging is a painless diagnostic exam that uses a high-resolution camera to take colored pictures of the back of your eye. The pictures give your doctor a closer look at the inner parts of your eye and help them take note of changes to your eye health and vision. Your optometrist can use optical coherence tomography (OCT), angiography, or fundus photography techniques to examine your eye.
Why Is Retinal Imaging Necessary?
Pictures of the back of your eye will show your retina, blood vessels, and optic nerve. The images let your eye doctor detect certain eye or health issues and treat them early to prevent them from becoming severe. Retinal imaging is non-invasive and appropriate for all ages. Here is why the test is necessary.
The Early Symptoms of Most Eye Conditions Appear in the Retina
With retinal imaging, your doctor can see symptoms of eye conditions that could not be detected before. Eye conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, age macular degeneration, and detached retina can be detected with retinal imaging.
All these eye illnesses need quick medical care to prevent vision loss. Moreover, retinal imaging is a computerized procedure. This means that any retina-related diseases are automatically examined, diagnosed, and saved by a computer. This leaves little room for human error.
Many Health Conditions Are First Detected in the Retina
Signs of high blood pressure or hypertension, diabetes, and some forms of cancer are first evident in the retina. This is well before other signs appear throughout the body. Detecting such health issues early is vital in treating them. This retinal imaging can mean the difference between a fast and easy solution and a more widespread, problematic treatment.
Saves Results for Future Assessments
Retinal imaging uses a computer to examine, diagnose, and store the results of your test. This enables your eye doctor to compare your test results every year during your annual eye exam. This aspect of retinal imaging is important in monitoring treatment outcomes. It also tracks the progress of diseases and notices any irregularities quickly.
Is the Test Necessary?
There is no good reason to avoid taking the test during your annual comprehensive eye checkups. Retinal imaging is fast and painless, and its benefits outweigh its costs. Think of it as your first line of defense against numerous different threats to your health.
For more on retinal imaging, contact Sacramento Eye Consultants at our office in Sacramento or Lincoln, California. You can call (916) 915- today to schedule an appointment.
Request an Appointment
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Indocyanine Green Angiography.
If you are interested in sending in a Guest Blogger Submission,welcome to write for us!
Comments
0