How Can an Eye Doctor Take Pictures of the Back of Your Eye (Retina)?
When getting an eye exam, you may have an option to have a picture of the back of your eye taken for the doctor to review. These pictures are taken using specialized instruments with a camera designed to view the back of the eye. There are many advantages of having routine pictures of the back of your eyes and it is becoming much more common for optometry clinics to offer these pictures.
Viewing the Retina
The retina is the part of the eye that is the very back of the eye and gathers light to create vision.
In any eye exam, it is very important to evaluate the health of the retina to make sure no disease or pathology is present that could affect vision.
Potential diseases that affect the retina include macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinal detachment, and diabetic retinopathy.
It is impossible to view the retina without special equipment.
A magnifying microscope and a high powered handheld lens are often used to obtain a view of the retina to allow the eye doctor to assess for disease.
If the pupil is small, a drop to dilate the eyes may be needed to make it larger so a better view is possible.
Using a Camera to View the Retina
While the retina cannot be seen without special equipment, it can be photographed with a specialized camera.
These instruments use built in lenses to focus the picture in the back of the eye.
Since the camera has lenses inside of it, it is possible to get much larger views of the retina than using a microscope to view it manually.
Benefits of Having a Retinal Photo
Having a picture of the back of your eye taken can often be done in place of a dilation and will aid the eye doctor in diagnosing and managing any retinal disease.
In a retinal photograph, any diseases are documented exactly — location, size, and color. This removes any variation between chart notes when attempting to describe pathology without a picture to document it.
Also, having a retinal photo taken when the eye is healthy allows a reference if there is anything that changes or develops over time. Conditions such as glaucoma or papilledema can have the appearance resembling conditions which are present at birth.
If dilation is not indicated based on pathology or complaints, a retinal photo may be sufficient in its place. This will allow the exam to be much quicker and prevent the side effects of blurry vision and light sensitivity that occur for a few hours following dilation.
When Insurance Will Pay for a Retinal Photo
Medical insurance will cover a retinal photo if it is used to document a known condition that has already been observed in the exam.
Many retinal conditions are covered for a retinal photo including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and freckles or other pigment changes in the back of the eye.
Sometimes, vision insurance will cover a routine screening retinal photo. This is a picture taken without any disease being known just to have a documented record of the back of the eye.
Screening photos may also have a copay amount associated with them depending on the insurance.
Our eye doctors at GHEye excel in prescription of glasses, contact lenses and the diagnosis of a variety of eye diseases. Call our optometrists at (571) 445-3692 to schedule your appointment today for a retinal photo or a standard eye exam. Our eye doctors, Dr. Ally Stoeger and Dr. Jennifer Sun provide the highest quality optometry services and eye exams in the Gainesville VA and Haymarket VA areas.
When getting an eye exam, you may have an option to have a picture of the back of your eye taken for the doctor to review. These pictures are taken using specialized instruments with a camera designed to view the back of the eye. There are many advantages of having routine pictures of the back of your eyes and it is becoming much more common for optometry clinics to offer these pictures.
Viewing the Retina
The retina is the part of the eye that is the very back of the eye and gathers light to create vision.
In any eye exam, it is very important to evaluate the health of the retina to make sure no disease or pathology is present that could affect vision.
Potential diseases that affect the retina include macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinal detachment, and diabetic retinopathy.
It is impossible to view the retina without special equipment.
A magnifying microscope and a high powered handheld lens are often used to obtain a view of the retina to allow the eye doctor to assess for disease.
If the pupil is small, a drop to dilate the eyes may be needed to make it larger so a better view is possible.
Using a Camera to View the Retina
While the retina cannot be seen without special equipment, it can be photographed with a specialized camera.
These instruments use built in lenses to focus the picture in the back of the eye.
Since the camera has lenses inside of it, it is possible to get much larger views of the retina than using a microscope to view it manually.
Benefits of Having a Retinal Photo
Having a picture of the back of your eye taken can often be done in place of a dilation and will aid the eye doctor in diagnosing and managing any retinal disease.
In a retinal photograph, any diseases are documented exactly — location, size, and color. This removes any variation between chart notes when attempting to describe pathology without a picture to document it.
Also, having a retinal photo taken when the eye is healthy allows a reference if there is anything that changes or develops over time. Conditions such as glaucoma or papilledema can have the appearance resembling conditions which are present at birth.
If dilation is not indicated based on pathology or complaints, a retinal photo may be sufficient in its place. This will allow the exam to be much quicker and prevent the side effects of blurry vision and light sensitivity that occur for a few hours following dilation.
When Insurance Will Pay for a Retinal Photo
Medical insurance will cover a retinal photo if it is used to document a known condition that has already been observed in the exam.
Many retinal conditions are covered for a retinal photo including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and freckles or other pigment changes in the back of the eye.
Sometimes, vision insurance will cover a routine screening retinal photo. This is a picture taken without any disease being known just to have a documented record of the back of the eye.
Screening photos may also have a copay amount associated with them depending on the insurance.