Maintaining Your Eye Health
Living with diabetes can make managing your health more complicated, but the team at Specialty Eye wants to help make it a little easier for you.
Our diabetic eye exams take an in-depth look at the health of your eyes and vision. After your exam, our expert optometrists can recommend lifestyle changes or treatments, as needed, to help maintain clear vision and healthy eyes into the future.
Routine diabetic eye exams are crucial to maintaining happy, healthy eyes. Include Specialty Eye as part of your healthcare team today.
Expert Diabetic Eye Care
Your optometrist at Specialty Eye is an expert in diabetic eye care. This means our team is all-hands-on-deck when it comes to pretesting, taking images of your eyes, and assessing the health of your eyes—inside and out.
Specialty Eye combines state-of-the-art technologies to deliver clear images of your eyes, and our optometrists are highly skilled at interpreting those pictures to provide you with the best care possible.
Diabetic Risks
If you have diabetes, you may already be aware that your risks of developing other health conditions can be heightened. The same can be said for eye diseases and conditions, particularly diabetic retinopathy. High blood sugar levels and/or the amount of time you have had diabetes can increase your risk of developing eye diseases and conditions.
Click through to find out more about how diabetes can affect your eye health.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Your eyes consist of many small, fragile blood vessels. These blood vessels can be negatively affected by increased blood sugar (glucose) levels. Over time, diabetes can cause the fragile blood vessels in your eyes to swell and leak fluid and blood—this is called diabetic retinopathy. When this happens, the retina tissue can swell, resulting in loss of vision.
While properly managing your glucose levels could return your vision back to normal, mismanagement of glucose levels can lead to blindness. Some treatments like injectable medications, laser therapy, and vitrectomy may be available to you if you have ongoing diabetic retinopathy.
Diabetic Macular Edema
When the blood vessels in your eyes swell and leak fluid and blood (diabetic retinopathy), it can cause fluid to build up on the macula, the part of your retina responsible for clear central vision. This is called diabetic macular edema, where the macula swells and thickens, distorting vision.
Cataracts
Many people will develop cataracts as they age, but having diabetes puts you at risk of developing them earlier in life. A cataract forms when proteins in the crystalline lens of your eye break down, causing cloudiness. Cataracts cause hazy vision, but the early stages can be managed with a change in your glasses prescriptions. Eventually, you may require cataract surgery to replace your natural lens with an artificial one.
Glaucoma
Having diabetes puts you at a higher risk of developing glaucoma—an eye condition typically caused by increased pressure inside the eye. Glaucoma damages the optic nerve (the part of your eye responsible for transmitting images to your brain), working from the outside, peripheral vision inward. Glaucoma may not show signs or symptoms until vision loss has already occurred.
Dry Eyes
Dry eye is the most common eye condition people with diabetes experience. Managing blood-sugar levels can help mitigate the effects of dry eyes, but if your eyes feel scratchy, red, or burning, Specialty Eye can help restore moisture to your eyes. Learn more on our Dry Eye Therapy page.
Ward Off Diabetic Eye Disease
The best way to ensure your eyes are healthy and protect them against diabetic eye diseases is with routine comprehensive eye exams. Book your next diabetic eye exam with the trusted experts at Specialty Eye today.
Our Locations
Bellevue
Steps away from beautiful Bellevue Square Mall, our office is conveniently located just off the I-405 on 106 Avenue NE.
- 225 106 Ave. NE
- Bellevue, WA 98004
Hours of Operation
- Monday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Thursday: Closed
- Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Saturday: Closed
- Sunday: Closed
Kirkland
Next to the Evergreen Hospital, our convenient location is on NE 128 Street, just off the I-405.
- 11830 NE 128 St., Suite 1
- Kirkland, WA 98034
Hours of Operation
- Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Friday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
- Saturday: Closed
- Sunday: Closed
Our Specialty Eye Care
Our Brands
See What People Say About Us
“All the associates here are wonderful! Everyone is thoughtful and accommodating. I have to use a walker and ever single person was patient and helpful in maneuvering me to be comfortable with doing certain test. In addition, my doctor is amazing!”
Andrea Norton
“The office is very informative. The Dr’s and staff are great and we look forward to starting our vision therapy!!”
Cori Brundage Frandsen
“My son has been going here since he was 1. We’ve never had a bad experience, and we’ve had a lot of visits because of his vision problems.”
Deanna Dooley Stanley
Our Expert Blog
Think You Have Dry Eye Syndrome? Take Our Quiz!
Dry EyeDo you often find yourself rubbing your eyes frequently? Are you experiencing a burning sensation, eye fatigue, or redness? These are a few signs that you might be struggling with a common condition known as dry eye. Dry eye symptoms are widespread and can be caused by several factors, including other eye conditions, like digital […]
How Do Atropine Eye Drops Help Control Myopia in Kids?
MyopiaMyopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a common vision condition that affects many people. It usually starts in childhood and is caused by the elongation of the eyeball, leading to difficulty seeing objects at a distance. Nowadays, there are several ways to manage myopia, and atropine eye drops are a popular method for slowing myopia […]
Can Nearsightedness Be Reversed?
MyopiaFirst, let’s clarify what nearsightedness is exactly. The technical term for the condition that causes nearsightedness is myopia, which affects approximately 30% of Americans. People with myopia can see objects up close clearly, but things farther away appear blurry. When your eye grows too long or your cornea is too curved, light that enters your […]
Think You Have Dry Eye Syndrome? Take Our Quiz!
Do you often find yourself rubbing your eyes frequently? Are you experiencing a burning sensation, eye fatigue, or redness? These are a few signs that you might be struggling with a common condition known as dry eye. Dry eye symptoms are widespread and can be caused by several factors, including other eye conditions, like digital […]
How Do Atropine Eye Drops Help Control Myopia in Kids?
Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a common vision condition that affects many people. It usually starts in childhood and is caused by the elongation of the eyeball, leading to difficulty seeing objects at a distance. Nowadays, there are several ways to manage myopia, and atropine eye drops are a popular method for slowing myopia […]
Can Nearsightedness Be Reversed?
First, let’s clarify what nearsightedness is exactly. The technical term for the condition that causes nearsightedness is myopia, which affects approximately 30% of Americans. People with myopia can see objects up close clearly, but things farther away appear blurry. When your eye grows too long or your cornea is too curved, light that enters your […]
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Bellevue
- 225 106 Ave. NE
- Bellevue, WA 98004
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P: 425-454-2028
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Kirkland
- 11830 NE 128 St., Suite 1
- Kirkland, WA 98034
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P: 425-821-8900