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Which Eye Doctor Do You Need if You Have Diabetes?

21 March 2017

Edward Payne

Unfortunately, one of the problems with diabetes is that it can affect your eyes and vision. If you do not keep your blood sugar level under control, the glucose in your blood can cause the lens of your eye to swell. This can give you blurry vision.

Luckily, if you manage to get things under control before any permanent damage is done, your vision will go back to normal. In addition to the swelling of the lens, uncontrolled diabetes may result in other vision issues. It is for this reason you need to see an eye doctor annually. Here is a bit of information as to which type of doctor you need to see.

Optometrist

If the diabetes is controlled, and you are not experiencing any blurry vision or floaters, you can see an optometrist. However, if you have been recently diagnosed with diabetes, it is a good idea to see an ophthalmologist to have your pupils dilated so the doctor can get base line measurements of your lenses, corneas, and retina.

An optometrist can help with normal vision issues and prescribe corrective lenses to correct your sight. In addition, you may see an optometrist in conjunction with an ophthalmologist after having surgery or being treated for other eye conditions.

Ophthalmologist

An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who specialized in disorders of the eye. Because diabetes can affect the retina, lens, and/or cornea, you may need to see this type of eye doctor. In most cases, your optometrist or primary care physician will refer you to an ophthalmologist if one is needed. He or she can treat or correct issues like glaucoma, cataracts, and retinopathy. During the treatment of any problems, this doctor can also do routine vision checks and prescribe corrective lenses if needed.

One thing to keep in mind is your insurance. You will need to have some type of vision insurance for an optometrist to do routine exams and prescribe glasses. However, most health insurance will cover the visit with an ophthalmologist when there is an underlying medical issue going on. This is especially true when your primary care physician refers you to the eye doctor. However, regardless of your insurance status, you need to know diabetes can cause blindness.

Do not put off regular eye checkups. Your eye doctor check is often the best way to catch a problem before it gets too bad. You do not want things to get to the point where the damage is irreversible.

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