General Eye Examinations

ADULT AND PEDIATRIC EYE EXAMINATIONS

Your family doctor or optometrist may refer you to be seen by an ophthalmologist if the need arises. Ophthalmologists are medical doctors (like your family doctor) who have had 5 years of training in eye diseases and performing eye surgery.

Ophthalmologists often work with other medical doctors to help diagnose or monitor other conditions you may have in your body. The most common examples may be diabetes or other rheumatologic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

DIABETES:

Diabetes can affect the blood vessels inside your eyes, causing significant vision loss. This vision loss can be treated to improve the vision, but not always can the vision be completely cured and returned to normal. Type II diabetics should have eye examinations once a year to ensure their eyes are not developing diabetic complications. The best prevention of diabetes related eye disease is good blood sugar control.

Please see the American Academy of Ophthalmology website or https://www.seethepossibilities.ca/eye-health/diabetic-retinopathy/ for further details and information.

HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE (PLAQUENIL) SCREENING:

Your rheumatologist may send you to an ophthalmologist for a screening eye examinations if you are on certain medicines, such as hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil). This medication is often used to treat auto-immune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Occasionally, the medication can build up in the retinal pigment epithelium (back layer of the eye) and cause permanent loss of vision.
Your ophthalmologist will perform testing in the office (visual field, optical coherence tomography, and colour vision) with an eye examination, to ensure your eyes are staying healthy. The testing is important as it will show eye disease prior to the patient noticing vision loss. This ensures the eyes stay healthy while on this medication. Your ophthalmologist will test and examine your eyes every 6 months or annually, depending on how long you have been treated with hydroxychloroquine.

UVEITIS:

Uveitis is inflammation inside the eye. The inflammation can occur in the front, middle, back or all sections of the eye. This condition is most likely associated with other rheumatologic conditions, but can be a condition not related to any others. After checking to ensure there is no underlying conditions causing the inflammation, your eyes will be treated with anti-inflammatory eye drops. If the condition is not treated, permanent vision loss can occur. If there is associated inflammation in other parts of the body, your ophthalmologist may consider sending you to see a rheumatologist.

Please see the American Academy of Ophthalmology website for further details and information.