Digital retinal imaging is an advanced technology that produces a detailed photographic image of your retina, optic nerve, macula and retinal blood vessels. It can be used as an eye health monitoring tool as it creates a permanent record of your eye health, which allows more effective follow up and management. It can also detect glaucoma, diabetes, macular degeneration, melanomas and many more eye diseases. The retinal images are a superior view of your retina for your optometrist and they can be magnified on the computer to give an even better view. This means some eye problems and diseases could be detected with digital retinal photography when they are missed in a normal optometric consultation.
The procedure is painless, the advanced imaging equipment means it is just like having a normal photo taken really close up. There is no radiation associated with retinal imaging. It is not an x-ray, it is simply a high quality digital camera attached to a powerful microscope that allows the camera to look though your pupil and focus on the retina at the back of your eye. The record can be examined on the spot by your optometrist, and it can also be compared to old photos to detect changes earlier.
The procedure is painless, the advanced imaging equipment means it is just like having a normal photo taken really close up. There is no radiation associated with retinal imaging. It is not an x-ray, it is simply a high quality digital camera attached to a powerful microscope that allows the camera to look though your pupil and focus on the retina at the back of your eye. The record can be examined on the spot by your optometrist, and it can also be compared to old photos to detect changes earlier.