What A Retinal Imaging Scan Does And The Information It Provides Your Eye Doctor

If you're having problems with vision loss, or if you have a medical condition that could affect your eyesight, your eye doctor might want to do a retinal imaging test. This test reveals details about the health and condition of your retina, which is important information since damage to your retina could lead to blindness. Here's some information about having this imaging test done. 

A Retinal Imagining Test Is An Office Procedure

This imaging test can be done in your eye doctor's office. First, the doctor will put drops in your eyes that cause your pupils to dilate. This allows for a better view of your retina. Then, the eye doctor takes scans of your retina that are stored on a computer so they can be viewed right away. You can view the results along with the eye doctor so you understand the results of the test. If an eye condition is found, you might have repeat scans to monitor the eye disease as your condition progresses or to check on the effectiveness of your treatment. A retinal scan doesn't replace a manual examination of your retina, it supplements it for a more thorough inspection of your eye.

Conditions That Show Up on A Retinal Scan

A scan of your retina reveals any abnormality that might be present. Some abnormalities indicate a particular eye condition, and this helps your eye doctor make a diagnosis when considered along with your medical history and results of a complete eye exam. Conditions your eye doctor might detect are diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinal detachment, cancer, and even high blood pressure. The scan can also find damage to the retina that might be caused by medications.

With the results of the scan to study, your eye doctor can determine the severity of your eye condition if one is found. This guides the course of treatment so the best methods are used to protect your vision and slow down the progression of your eye disease. A retinal scan is so sensitive, it might pick up on health problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes that you aren't aware you have. Getting treatment for these conditions in the early stages may prevent further eye damage or slow down the damage. Other conditions may require eye medications or other treatments so you can manage your vision loss if it can't be slowed or reversed.

A retinal scan is an important vision test, but it is just one part of an overall comprehensive eye exam. Since eye exams can detect causes of potential blindness, it's important to have examinations by an eye doctor regularly, especially as you approach your senior years when eye conditions become more common due to age.