Diagnosis

Diabetic retinopathy is detected during an eye examination that includes:

• Visual acuity test
  This eye test, which measures how well you see at various distances, has two components. It measures accurate vision without correction as well as best corrected vision confirmed by refraction.
  
• Pupil dilation
  The eye care professional places drops into the eye to widen the pupil. This allows the doctor to see more of the retina and look for signs of diabetic retinopathy. After the examination, close-up vision may remain blurred for several hours.
  
• Ophthalmoscopy
  This is an examination of the retina in which the eye care professional: (1) looks through a special magnifying lens that provides a narrow view of the retina, or (2) wearing an indirect ophthalmoscope with a bright light, looks through a special magnifying glass to gain a wide view of the retina.
  
• Tonometry
  A standard test that determines the fluid pressure inside the eye. Elevated pressure is a possible sign of secondary glaucoma, another common eye problem in people with diabetes.

Your eye care professional will look at your retina for early signs of diabetic retinopathy, such as: (1) leaking blood vessels, (2) retinal swelling -- signs of macular edema, (3) pale, fatty deposits on the retina -- signs of leaking blood vessels, (4) damaged nerve tissue, and (5) any changes in the blood vessels.

Should your doctor suspect that you need treatment for macular edema, he or she may ask you to have a test called fluorescein angiography.

In this test, a special dye is injected into your arm. Pictures are then taken as the dye passes through the blood vessels in the retina. This test allows your doctor to determine the location of the leaking blood vessels.

Health Research Sciences MDD-1 and MDD-2 products can be used for Diabetic Retinopathy Detection, Screening and Testing