Diabetes Monitoring

Routine testing helps your doctor work with you to manage your diabetes. It allows us to analyze your blood sugar levels and focus on lowering them if high. Results from testing also indicate if we should make adjustments that can prevent serious complications like kidney failure. By being consistent in monitoring your diabetes and keeping up regular tests like diabetic eye exams and neuropathy testing, you can continue safely enjoy the things you like to do.

Talk to your doctor to learn more or to make an appointment.

Diabetes can damage your eyes, increase your risk of glaucoma and damage the blood vessels in the back wall of your eyelid (diabetic retinopathy). Unfortunately, most people with diabetic retinopathy don’t know they have it. Your vision doesn’t change, and you don’t notice symptoms, which make screenings even more important.

An eye specialist (ophthalmologist) can screen you for eye issues caused by diabetes. Optical equipment and pupil-enlarging eyedrops help them to see your eyes better.

If you have diabetes and your primary care physician suspects retinopathy, they may recommend you see an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) for an annual diabetic eye exam. If you have diabetes but no signs of retinopathy, you should still get tested, but you only need to come in every two years.

In this quick test, your doctor will insert eye drops into your eyes to enlarge (dilate) your pupils. This dilation allows your physician to see the details of your eye better. Your doctor will then examine your retinal vessels directly, or with a machine, to search for abnormalities caused by diabetes. The whole exam takes just a few minutes.

To treat damage to your eyes caused by diabetes, your physician might perform a laser treatment to stop or slow the blood and fluid leaking into your eye from damaged blood vessels. They might also prescribe medications to keep abnormal blood vessels from growing and reduce swelling and leaking.

Diabetic nephropathy is kidney damage or failure caused by diabetes. We diagnose diabetic nephropathy by observing samples of your urine. This testing measures protein and chemical waste levels, which can indicate poorly functioning kidneys when too high. We also use diagnostic imaging to assess blood flow, as well as tissue. Healthy bodies should have natural, seamless functioning. Any blockages or abnormalities that show up in testing can signal that we may want to take a closer look.

People with diabetes should be screened regularly for kidney disease. You will need nephropathy testing as soon as you are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Most people with Type 1 diabetes don’t need to be screened until five years after their diagnosis.

Submitting a urine sample is painless and only requires you to drink plenty of fluids before your test. A nurse will provide a sample cup to collect your urine, which you perform privately, and then leave for analysis.

If your diabetic nephropathy testing reveals that you have kidney impairment, your physician will likely recommend medication to lower your cholesterol and better manage blood pressure and blood sugar.

In some cases, diabetes can affect the nerves in your limbs, making it difficult to feel sensation in your upper and lower extremities. In a monofilament neuropathy exam, we test your body’s response to light stimulation.

If you have diabetes, you should undergo a monofilament neuropathy test at least once a year.

In this pain-free exam, your doctor will use a plastic instrument attached to a strand of nylon (monofilament) to observe how you sense light touch on your hands, arms and legs. Your doctor will touch various sites of your extremities in what may feel like a random pattern. This way, you’re more likely to respond naturally to the stimulation.

If the test results indicate you have developed neuropathy, you may be referred to a podiatrist for further evaluation. You may also be asked to monitor your feet with daily foot exams and to wear clean socks every day.

Beaumont offers a variety of resources for those looking to manage and prevent diabetes.

Learn more about our diabetes programs »