AUSTRALIANS are being urged to make more use of high-tech retinal imaging to monitor early onset of critical eye conditions including failing vision caused by Type 2 diabetes, one of the fastest-growing medical conditions in Australia today.
Canberra optometrist, Avleen Trewartha, from OPSM, said deteriorating vision was a key flow-on effect of diabetes that too often went undiagnosed, exposing sufferers to debilitation of the eye.
“The eye is the window to many aspects of our general health,” she said.
“Regular retinal imaging is the most effective way to monitor for diabetes-related eye conditions, as well as others linked to age and deteriorating general health.
“Regular retinal imaging by an optometrist using a high-technology retinal camera, is recommended for everyone to monitor eye health over time, and recommended annually for people who have diabetes or a genetic history of eye disease.”
The retinal camera captures a unique snapshot of the interior surfaces of the eye, including the retina, ocular blood vessels, optic nerve, nerve fibre and other pathologies in a non-invasive, five-minute test.
With this information, optometrists can diagnose early onset of eye diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma, and detect abnormalities linked to broader medical conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.
OPSM has a high-technology “Fundus” retinal camera in Canberra.