Eye Disease Diagnosis & Management
Bellevue & Kirkland

You view the world through a crystalline lens in your eye. As we age, the structure of the lens breaks down causing it to become cloudy, called a cataract, which is characterized by blurry or foggy vision.

In the early stages,  poor vision due to cataracts may be corrected with a change in prescription lenses. Eventually, you may require surgery to replace your lens with a new intraocular lens (IOL).

Many forms of glaucoma are caused by increased pressure inside the eye. Glaucoma results from damage tof the optic nerve, affecting the outermost, peripheral vision first. There are no symptoms in the early stages until vision loss has already occurred.

The most common form is open-angle glaucoma. If glaucoma is left untreated, it can eventually affect the central vision resulting in blindness.

Acute angle-closure glaucoma is an eye emergency caused by a rapid increase in pressure in the eye. Please get in touch with us as quickly as possible, or visit  your nearest emergency medical clinic after hours if you experience:

• Severe eye pain
• Nausea
• Redness in the eye
• Seeing halos or colored rings around lights
• Blurred vision

The longer someone has diabetes, the higher the risk is of developing diabetic retinopathy, one of the leading causes of preventable blindness. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye, swell and leak fluid and blood, caused by increased blood sugar levels.

Treatments are available for diabetic retinopathy, but vision loss can occur. The best way to prevent diabetic retinopathy is by maintaining a healthy blood sugar level and with routine comprehensive diabetic eye exams.

Just as diabetic retinopathy affects the blood vessels in the eye, diabetic macular edema occurs when those damaged blood vessels begin to swell and leak fluid and blood into the macula, the centremost part of the retina that is responsible for clear central vision.

Permanent vision loss may result from diabetic macular edema, but treatments may be available. The best prevention of diabetic-related eye conditions is maintaining a healthy blood sugar level and routine comprehensive diabetic eye exams.

Your macula is the tiny part of your retina responsible for clear central vision. It helps you read, drive, and recognize faces clearly. Over time, the macula can deteriorate, resulting in macular degeneration.

There are 2 types of macular degeneration: dry (atrophic) and wet (exudative). Dry macular degeneration is caused by deterioration of the macula over time. Wet macular degeneration can cause rapid vision loss due to blood vessels that grow under the macula and leak. Preventative measures can be taken to help reduce vision loss due to macular degeneration, and wet macular degeneration can be treated to preserve remaining vision.

Keratoconus occurs when the cornea (the frontmost part of your eye) thins and bulges, changing from normally rounded to cone-shaped. When this occurs, light entering the eyes doesn’t focus properly and can cause blurred vision.

Our corneal topographer and keratometer help diagnose keratoconus. Some treatments are available, and we can help you manage your keratoconus with the use of specialty contact lenses