Eye Checks Start at Diagnosis

Eye checks usually start at diagnosis. You do not need to wait for vision changes.

Years of high blood sugar can wear down the tiny blood vessels in the retina. It is like a stair step worn down by footsteps. The retina is the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye.

This damage often starts with no symptoms at all.

An eye cut in half from the side. Light passes through the pupil and lens and lands on the macula, the center of the retina at the back. Tiny red vessels run across the retina. In the last view, weak vessels bulge and leak yellow fluid, and the macula swells.

The first eye exam is due at a different time for each type of diabetes.

For type 2, it is usually at diagnosis. Eye changes can already be present by then.

For type 1, it usually comes within five years of diagnosis. Your care team can confirm your timing.

The first eye exam sets a starting point, called a baseline.

Later exams are compared with it. Small changes are easier to spot against that starting point.

Think of it as a photo from day one, set beside each later photo.

Key takeaways

• Eye checks usually start at diagnosis, before vision changes.
• Type 2 usually gets its first eye exam at diagnosis. Type 1 usually within five years.
• The first exam gives a starting point for later comparisons.

Try it

Write down your diagnosis date and the date of any eye exam since. If there is none and your timing says it is due, book the first one today.