Preserve Your Vision With Vision Care Bellevue

Diabetic Retinopathy in Northwest Bellevue

Preserve Your Vision With Vision Care Bellevue

(425) 451-7798

Have diabetes?

Experiencing changes in vision, such as blurriness and eye floaters?

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of vision loss around the world. Of an estimated 285 million people with diabetes mellitus worldwide, approximately one-third have signs of diabetic retinopathy.

Fortunately, there are several steps people with diabetes can take to prevent or minimize vision loss.

Blood sugar level check


What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?

noraml eye and an eye with  diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease caused by high blood sugar levels that damage the small blood vessels clustered within your retina. This leads to swelling or fluid leakage and can result in vision loss and even blindness.

Diabetic retinopathy also raises the risk of retinal detachment and/or glaucoma.

Because the early stages of diabetic retinopathy show no symptoms, many don't realize they have it until the disease has progressed.

If you have diabetes, you are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. To reduce your risk and protect your vision, schedule an eye exam with Vision Care Bellevue today.


What Are the Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy?

diabetic-retinopothy-oct-scan

As mentioned above, the early phase of diabetic retinopathy typically shows no symptoms. This is why it's important to have routine eye exams (all the more so if you have diabetes), as your eye doctor can detect diabetic retinopathy in its earlier stages before symptoms become apparent.

Symptoms of proliferative diabetic retinopathy include:
  • Blurred vision
  • Floaters
  • Double vision
  • Near vision problems
  • Seeing dark spots (scotomas)
  • Difficulty seeing at night

What are the Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy?

Non-Proliferative Retinopathy (early stage):
This occurs when small bulges–or microaneurysms–form in blood vessels and can leak fluid into the retina.

Proliferative Retinopathy (later phase):
This refers to abnormal vessel growth and leakage in the retina. This triggers a variety of vision problems such as blurriness, reduced field of vision, and even blindness.

If you have diabetes, Vision Care Bellevue in Northwest Bellevue offers diagnostic tests and treatment options to help preserve your vision. The earlier the diagnosis, the better the treatment outcome.

Diabetic-Retinopathy-Bllod-sugar-level-checker


How Optometrists Diagnose Diabetic Retinopathy

  • Medical history

    Your optometrist will ask about your medical history, including diabetes, as well as your family history of eye conditions.

  • Dilated pupil exam

    Your optometrist will apply eye drops to dilate the pupils so they can see inside the eye and detect any issues.

  • Fluorescein angiography

    This eye test uses a special dye and camera to look at blood flow in the retina and choroid.

  • Optical coherence tomography

    This imaging method shows a cross-section of the retina and can indicate whether vessels are leaking fluid into the retina.


How to Treat Diabetic Retinopathy

senior man with diabetic retinopathy

Treatment begins with managing blood sugar levels and diabetes. This means eating a healthy diet, increasing physical activity, and taking whatever diabetes medication has been prescribed.

Other treatments will depend on the stage or severity of the disease. If caught early, only blood sugar management may be necessary.

However, if you're in a more advanced stage of the diseases, treatment options may include:
  • Eye medications. Steroid and Anti-VEGF treatments can stop inflammation and prevent the formation of new blood vessels.
  • Laser surgery. Reduces the proliferation of abnormal blood vessels and swelling in the retina.
  • Vitrectomy. If you have proliferative diabetic retinopathy, you may need an eye surgery called vitrectomy. This procedure removes scar tissue, blood or fluid, and some of the vitreous gel so light rays can better focus on the retina.

Diabetic Retinopathy FAQs

What are the major risk factors for diabetic retinopathy?

As the name suggests, diabetes is the main risk factor for developing diabetic retinopathy. Be mindful of your family history of type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, get an annual eye exam to detect potential problems early.

Other conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol are also risk factors. Moreover, those of African or Hispanic descent have a higher risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.

Can diabetic retinopathy be prevented?

There are a number of ways to preserve your vision and reduce the risk of vision and eye damage due to diabetic retinopathy.

  • Visit your eye doctor for annual eye exams.
  • Control your blood sugar levels.
  • Maintain healthy cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Quit smoking.

The best thing you can do right now is to schedule your eye exam with Vision Care Bellevue in Northwest Bellevue to ensure that everything is in check.

Does diabetic retinopathy cause blindness?

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the main causes of blindness among work-aged adults. It affects one in three people with diabetes and often goes unnoticed at first. Diagnosing and treating the condition early on can prevent severe vision loss.

Patient Reviews
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106 Reviews
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- Jul. 12, 2024
Have been seeing Dr. Wendy for 8 years now. She is patient, kind, and a great listener. She has al... ways listened to me when something with glasses or contacts wasn't working and worked with me to keep trying different things until we find the best solution for my personal situation and preferences. I wish more care providers were like her.
- Apr. 12, 2024
Very kind people and a stress-free experience! It took me a very long time to pick out glasses, but ... everyone was really nice about it. Glasses pick up was quick and easy about 2 weeks later. The doctor was very knowledgeable and answered all of my questions.
- Mar. 18, 2024
Dr. Wendy and staff are friendly and patient. Very experienced and thorough in their procedures.
- Jan. 03, 2024
The most outstanding experience. Dr. Wendy is a true sweetheart. She took her time to explain all th... e basics. She has a very calm, sweet and soothing aura that makes you feel like everything in life is going to be alright 😄 we need more people like Dr. Wendy!!!
- Dec. 13, 2023
Ritz Carlton Service Level! The staff are very professional and nice. Dr. Wendy is super professiona... l, highly trained with extensive knowledge, and will give you all the time to explain everything to the customer. They also have a good variety of frames. Pros: Very clean, good parking spots, professional staff, high-end fast service. Cons: I honestly don't have any!
- Dec. 06, 2023
Been coming here for 3 years, never left anything but highly satisfied. Dr. Wendy is extremely patie... nt and happy to answer questions, eye exams are quick and efficient, all staff members are super sweet. They are transparent about costs, a refreshing departure from most of the medical industry. I don't even live in Bellevue anymore but don't have the heart to find anyone closer, y'all rock!
- Oct. 02, 2023
Amazing, been coming here for years!
- Aug. 25, 2023
Optometrist and optician who provided service for me today were very welcoming, knowledgeable, and h... elpful. The optician (sorry, forgot her name!) went above and beyond to help me fix my sunglasses. Unlike many other clinics I've been to, they were not pushy and did not try to sell me something I did not need. I would highly recommend this clinic.
- Dec. 20, 2022
Excellent customer service and treatment and my son felt very comfortable. Thank you for such excell... ent service.
- Dec. 10, 2022
Very friendly staff and Dr. Hoang is great!
- Sep. 28, 2022
Highly recommend them! Dr. Huang listens to my need, and open to adjustment! My prescription is str... ong, and hard to fit, but very happy with the result! I got both contact lens and frame glasses with them. With the contact lens they fit me, I'm able to wear contact lens for the whole day and almost every day. Previously, I had to take a break. Now I can take off the contacts when I'm about to sleep, and put them in when I wake up. I also like the frame glass from them. The assistant help me to pick frames. The new frame sits so well on my asian face, and doesn't touch my cheeks at all. Very happy!
- Aug. 11, 2022
Amazing doctor and staff 🙂
- Aug. 04, 2022
Literally the best customer service I've ever gotten anywhere. From the appointment scheduling to wh... en I picked up my glasses, everyone who works here have been kind and helpful. The eye exam itself was the most thorough exam I've ever gotten. Dr Hoang, Nikki and Luba were very patient and welcoming. Nikki explained my insurance coverage line by line, going over all the alternative options. When I was picking frames, she even collected all the frames that suited what I was looking for and put them all on the table for me to try on. She also tweaked the frames that I was interested in so that I'd know accurately how they fit before making a decision. The glasses took about ~2 weeks to come in. When I picked it up this morning, Luba took the time to fix my glasses over and over until they were comfortable and not falling off. She was patient and kind, didn't rush the process or made me feel like I was bothering her (this is true for the everyone here). Can't recommend this place enough. Great service, great exam, great glasses.
- Jun. 29, 2022
Great place for an eye exam. They offer a great selection of frames too. Dr. Huang was very informat... ive and explained my overall eye health and hygiene tips to prep me for LASIK. I would highly recommend!
- May. 26, 2022
Excellent service as always. Will continue with my eye care, the staff from the front to the back al... ways helpful and thorough.
- May. 10, 2022
I'm so glad I found Vision Plus Bellevue years ago. Dr Huang and her staff are excellent, take such... good care of me, the office is run smoothly and professionally, and they manage insurance without any effort from me! 5 stars!
- Feb. 22, 2022
I am an optometrist myself and I was greatly impressed by Vision Plus Bellevue and its entire team. ... Dr. Huang is a skilled optometrist with great bedside manners. Nikki is a personable optical assistant who is always on top of things. I think one of the reasons why Vision Plus Bellevue is so well run is because of its office manager, Luba. She is a proficient optician who demonstrates patience and exceptional quality of care. Overall, I highly recommend this optical.
- Feb. 17, 2022
Nikki is awesome! Everyone is. Nikki especially is so patient and helps me pick the best designs, su... per communicative, and very professional. I have been seeing them for 2 years now and they will be my permanent people!
- Feb. 10, 2022
Excellent doc. Wonderful staff. Great service. Thorough exam. Yay, Vision Plus!
- Jan. 06, 2022
We have been going to Vision Plus Bellevue since we moved here last summer. The staff is amazing and... always accommodating to help us. I have a 10 year old that constantly needs help With his glasses and the staff is always ready to help and in a good mood. I also just took my 5 year old for a Well check up and Dr. Wendy is AMAZING She was very patient, explaining step by step on what needed to be done! I couldn’t be happier we are clients of this place! Highly recommended!

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Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnosis & Treatment in Northwest Bellevue

Our optometry practice in Northwest Bellevue

Photograph of Wendy  Huang
Hours
  • Monday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
    1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
  • Tuesday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
    1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
  • Wednesday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
    1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
  • Thursday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
    1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
  • Friday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
    1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • United Healthcare
  • Aetna
  • EyeMed
  • Blue Cross

blood sugaer level testing kit

Have diabetes?

Early detection and timely treatment can prevent vision loss.

(425) 451-7798