Eye Screening Letter

[gll]

Can anyone explain this

"The results of your eye screening show you have some diabetic changes to your eye(s). These changes do not require any treatment at the present time and there is no cause for concern as there is no immediate risk to your vision. An invitation will be sent to you next year for your annual eye screening appointment.

You should continue to concentrate to controlling on your diabetes as well as possible. This will reduce the risk of diabetic eye disease progressing."

goes on to say speak to gp or the dr who looks after your diabetes if you have questions.

This is my first screen so diabetic changes? Nothing showing on mydiabetesmyway yet with the results either.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

This is my first screen so diabetic changes?

It's indicating some level of background retinopathy. Many of us get that letter every year, so (as it says) nothing to panic about. We reduce the chances of something worse by (as it says) keeping good control of diabetes and of blood pressure.

 

[gll]

thanks, its as clear as mud reading the letter

 

[Bruce Stephens]

thanks, its as clear as mud reading the letter

I think for a year or two the letter was even more unnerving. But yes, I mostly look for the "see you again in a year" part and so long as that's when they want to see me I know nothing much has changed.

 

[helli]

As others have said, this is not something super majot or something you need to be concerned about.
I also want to add that it can be reversed - I have received the "background retinopathy letter" a few times but have been completely clear for the last two years.
There is an advantage to this letter - in some areas they are reducing the frequency of retinal scans to two years unless you have any "area for concern to review". Background retinopathy ensures you stick with the annual scans.

 

[Lucyr]

I was so panicked when I got that letter! But yes it means some background changes, they aren’t big enough changes to mean there’s any risk to your sight at the moment and you don’t need any treatment, but it is important to manage blood sugars as best you can and go to annual screenings to pick up and further changes. I’d use it as weighting to get that referral to a specialist to help stabilise your blood sugars.

 

[Leadinglights]

Having just returned from my eye screening so everything is a bit blurry.
I also had screening letter saying background retinopathy one year and then clear after that. Hoping this time will also be fine as it is at least 2 years since last one.

 

[gll]

thanks everyone for the reassurance.

I was told that here you get year 1 and year 2 screenings and then go onto 2 yearly as long as there are no problems.

@Lucyr yep I will bring it up. I have a phone call in the morning with the nurse as a follow up for gliclazide increase. Will update the other thread after it x

 

[Deleted member 21371]

thanks everyone for the reassurance.

I was told that here you get year 1 and year 2 screenings and then go onto 2 yearly as long as there are no problems.

@Lucyr yep I will bring it up. I have a phone call in the morning with the nurse as a follow up for gliclazide increase. Will update the other thread after it x

It varies.
My local area now stays on one year regardless.
I have been clear, and was put on two years at opticians.
Moved house, a new county, and it's all on one year again at NHS centres
I also found a local optician that does private screening, so I pay the extra to get the screening done on top of my normal eye testing

 

[gll]

I need a repeat normal/opticians eye test. One was done last summer right before diagnosis and my glasses are a bit off. Really need my bg to be stable for a little while to let my eyes settle before that happens.
Add to the list of reasons why stable bloods needs to happen sooner rather than later.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I’m another who has had a couple of those over the years, but have settled back to being ‘all clear’ over the last few years.

Fingers crossed you can stop any early changes progressing, of perhaps get an all clear in the next few years. 🙂

 

[Leadinglights]

Plus 5 hours from the eye drops and my eyes still look like the googly eye soft toys my granddaughters love.
I asked if they needed to use the drops but she said sometimes it's fine but if not it wastes time as they then have to give you them and you have to wait.

 

[Windy]

I also found a local optician that does private screening, so I pay the extra to get the screening done on top of my normal eye testing

I do too, mine told me to try and get the appointments so you have the yearly diabetes screenings with the optician's one half way between the diabetes ones, so you get a half way check too.

 

[gll]

I didn't need drops for mine, the lassie said since I was young, they usually get a clear enough picture. (she confirmed it was clear when taking it)
Funny how much one area varies to another.

@Leadinglights the googly eyes made me laugh

Okay one more question (and I need answers before 9am nurse call lol)
Is it constant high bg that damages eyes, erratic bg levels with large spikes or both individually and/or combined?

I am really feeling preparing for a hcp appointment is a mission in itself to find ammunition to get anyone to listen. I mentioned in another post - the hba1c isn't the holy grail of everything is fine. 😡

(still appreciating the reassurance with all your experiences x)

 

[Eddy Edson]

There may be slightly different classifications here in Oz but my ophthalmologist reckons I have "mild to moderate diabetic retinopathy in each eye", with quite a few microaneurysms but fortunately none of the major red flags - no blood leaking into the retina & no sign of macular oedema, ie fluid build-up in the centre of the retina.

That's progress from a while back when there was some early indications of macular oedema, but that resolved itself, thank Geebus.

While there' no guarantee that one of the microaneurysms won't randomly blow up at some point, for now I'm on a 12 month review cycle & alert level is at "mild chronic background worry" rather than "panic". 🙂

 

[gll]

ahhh my online was updated

 

[Lucyr]

I didn't need drops for mine, the lassie said since I was young, they usually get a clear enough picture. (she confirmed it was clear when taking it)
Funny how much one area varies to another.

@Leadinglights the googly eyes made me laugh

Okay one more question (and I need answers before 9am nurse call lol)
Is it constant high bg that damages eyes, erratic bg levels with large spikes or both individually and/or combined?

I am really feeling preparing for a hcp appointment is a mission in itself to find ammunition to get anyone to listen. I mentioned in another post - the hba1c isn't the holy grail of everything is fine. 😡

(still appreciating the reassurance with all your experiences x)

It’s both. Running high bgs or having bg spikes constantly can cause retinopathy but also any sudden changes in the levels of bg (increase or decrease) can cause it. Mine was caused by suddenly improving my bgs. The consultant said that it was still worth improving bgs but good to do so gradually if possible, rather than seeing the letter, making a huge amount of instant changes and dropping bgs too far too fast.