Eye Exams Are Not Just for Glasses and Contacts
The Importance of a Retinal Evaluation
Patients often think seeing Dr. Tumolo is solely to attain a new prescription for glasses and / or contact lenses. While this is part of the examination process, this is not the process in its totality. The retinal (inside of your eye) evaluation via dilation (eye drops) or the retinal photograph (Optos digital imaging), is how Dr. Tumolo can examine the overall health of your eye. Not only does this allow Dr. Tumolo to check your eye health but he can also see signs of what could possibly be happening inside the rest of your body.
The retina is the only area in your body where the doctor can see your vascular system (arteries and veins) without cutting into you. This can give the doctor a plethora of information. Along with the vessels, the inside of your eye allows the doctor to see your vitreous humor. The vitreous can show floaters, degeneration, and inflammation that could be manifesting inside the rest of your body. There are over 200 general diseases your eye doctor can detect by looking inside of your eyes.
General diseases that are commonly found are as follows:
- Diabetes
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Autoimmune Diseases
- HIV
- Various Types of Cancer
- Heart Conditions (atherosclerosis, arteriolosclerosis, arteriosclerosis)
- Hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol).
The dilation or Optos retinal imaging is imperative for patients who already have any of the diseases listed above, regardless of the medications they are using to keep them at bay. For patients who come in for a routine eye examination the retinal evaluation is important to make sure there is nothing happening inside the eye or body that would need to be further addressed. Many patients do not understand the reasons behind “the annoying drops that make them blurry,” but once you understand the importance of why we are using these drops, the pros outweigh the cons. Here at Beyond 2020 Vision Specialists we offer the Optos digital retinal imaging to give us a clear wide-field view of the retina. This can be used to screen the retina and give us an idea of what is happening inside of your eye. Occasionally we may still need to dilate you depending on the situation, but either way, Dr. Tumolo will go over all of the findings and walk you through the next steps to ensure you will get the most comprehensive examination, and all of your questions are answered.
In the event Dr. Tumolo finds something in your retina that needs further diagnosis or treatment he will refer you to a retinal specialist who is experienced in exactly this specific area of the eye. The retinal specialists will do some additional testing and work together with Dr. Tumolo to properly treat your eye condition and give you an accurate prognosis along with getting you back to seeing clearly.
Here at Beyond 2020 Vision Specialists we strive to give you the best experience, individually addressing your needs and tirelessly working to make ourselves better at everything we do.
