What Is an Optomap® Retinal Scan? Here’s All You Need to Know

Our bodies are made of complex systems that are interconnected. Nothing works independently. With that being said, your eye health is quite essential in your overall well-being.

Your eye health can indicate other underlying health issues. A routine visit can help our optometrist in Vaughan take a look at your eyes and peer into the state of your health.

Thanks to modern technology, we have better ways of taking care of your eye health. Optomap® retinal scan in Vaughan, ON, is one of the medical advances essential in the diagnosis of eye problems. This imaging device can be used to detect potential signs of disease in your retina that could otherwise be missed.

However, to understand what an Optomap can do, let’s first get acquainted with what the retina is and what it does.

What Is the Retina and What Does It Do?

Your retina is located at the back of the eye, and it covers close to 65 percent of the area. It is considered as part of the brain tissue and central nervous system since it develops as an outgrowth of the brain.

It is a thin layer of tissue that enables vision. When light hits your eye, the retina receives it, then converts the light into neural signals, which are transmitted to the brain. The brain then perceives the image.

What makes the retina do this work are a set of special cells:

• Cones. These are the cells responsible for detecting color and detail. They are located in the central region of the retina known as the macula.
• Rods. These cells are located in the peripheral area of the retina. They are the ones that enable you to see in low lighting. Also, they provide us with night vision.

When there are changes to your retina, you can experience vision changes such as:

• Blurred vision
• Flashes of light in both eyes
• Curtain-like shadow in your field of vision
• Sudden onset of small or large spots that block your vision

Why Check Your Retina?

In your body, there is only one place where your blood vessels can be viewed directly: the retina. This is why it is vital to get your eyes checked and, more so, the retina. This means that using an Optomap retinal scan in Vaughan, ON, we can detect:

• Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
• Glaucoma
• Retinal tears
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Hypertension retinopathy
• Stroke
• Retinal holes
• Choroidal nevus
• Retinal detachments

The early detection of these conditions means that the odds are better. In other words, if there is damage it may be reversed, earlier treatment may give better outcomes, and your lifestyle might not be affected that much. Early stages of these conditions may not show the classic signs so it is always wise to get your eyes checked regularly.

Why Have an Optomap Test?

The beauty of using Optomap is that it is an advanced retinal imaging device that takes an ultra-widefield view of the retina. With this device, our optometrist can take high-resolution images. Also, more than 80 percent of your retina can be examined as compared to its predecessor, the standard digital retinal photography, which could only view five times less or roughly 12 percent of the retina.

With an Optomap scan, you can get a better diagnosis than before when certain issues could go undetected.

How Is It Done?

It is a fairly simple and easy procedure. When you come in for a scan, our optometrist or staff will guide you on where you need to look. Typically, nothing touches your eye at any moment. You simply look into the device like looking through a keyhole, one eye at a time. Then when you see a flash of light, you will know that an image has been taken. The image will be displayed on the screen immediately. Our optometrist will then walk you through the image.

Benefits of Optomap Retinal Scan

The Optomap device is an essential device that boasts of several advantages such as:

• Facilitating early detection of vision-related issues, thus protecting your eyes from vision impairment.
• Detecting other life-threatening diseases such as stroke, cancer, and cardiovascular disease
• Takes a few minutes to complete the examination
• The wide view images that the Optomap device takes help our optometrist detect early signs of retinal disease and objectively monitor any changes over time

If you need an Optomap retinal scan in Vaughan, ON, contact our optometrist at the office of Dr. Allyson Tang Optometrist to book an appointment.