Preserve Your Vision With Vision Care Crossroads

Diabetic Retinopathy in Crossroads

Preserve Your Vision With Vision Care Crossroads

Schedule Eye Exam

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


Give Your Eyes the Care They Deserve

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 Crossroads 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 Crossroads in Crossroads 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.


Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnosis & Treatment in Crossroads

Our optometry practice in Crossroads

Photograph of Sam Hsu
Hours
  • Monday 9:30 am - 6:00 pm
  • Tuesday 9:30 am - 6:00 pm
  • Wednesday 9:30 am - 6:00 pm
  • Thursday 9:30 am - 6:00 pm
  • Friday 9:30 am - 6:00 pm
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • Aetna
  • Spectera
  • EyeMed
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Blue Cross

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.
Patient Reviews
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141 Reviews
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- Nov. 07, 2023
overall great experiences! Doctors are professional, efficient, and nice to work with. Friendly admi... n staff as well!
- Nov. 02, 2023
Good place and very nice people including doctors.
- Oct. 07, 2023
Excellent practice! Dr. Lee took time to explain the results of the exam. Will be returning with t... he whole family!
- Sep. 19, 2023
VISION CARE CROSSROAD has Excellent staff. If you are needing vision care go see Dr. HSU OR DR. LEE.... The staff is great and wonderful selection of glasses available. Easy parking and location easy to find. Fun shops nearby. Trustworthy vision care!
- Aug. 25, 2023
Dr. Hsu is great! and the staff are helpful and friendly. I have been visiting Dr. Hsu for my annual... eye exam from last 5 years.
- Aug. 15, 2023
The staff was exceptionally friendly, and Dr. Minha Lee was outstanding. I didn't feel hurried at al... l. Dr. Lee took the time to answer all my questions and provided detailed explanations
- Aug. 03, 2023
Dr Sam Hsu is thorough and friendly and addresses all your concerns. I really recommend his practice...
- Jul. 29, 2023
Dr. Li puts her patients first.
- Jul. 20, 2023
Dr. Minha Lee is an amazing optometrist-- very knowledgeable and proficient and caring. So glad tha... t she's my optometrist!
- May. 21, 2023
Our family has been going to Vision Care for almost a decade. All the staff are friendly, caring and... professional. Dr. Sam, and Dr. Lee go above and beyond. Dr. Sam gets to know the families and he understands our needs (sports, jobs, and even sleep patterns) to recommend our eye cares. What I really love about them is that they genuinely care, I had an eye infection and had an appointment scheduled. My child's eye check appointment was a few days earlier than my appointment. While I was there for my child's appointment, Dr. Sam saw me and told me that he would take care of me right then too instead of waiting for my appointment. His patients' well-being are important to him.
- Nov. 26, 2022
Nailed my prescription!
- Jul. 27, 2022
Dr. Minha is one of the most passionate doctors. Very streamlined eye exam process and it is great.
- Feb. 03, 2022
I had a great experience with Dr. Minha Lee and the staff here. Everyone was very kind, accommodatin... g, and patient to answer any questions I had. They were also excellent about sanitizing everything before/after every use, including all of the glasses I tried on. They walked through how much my insurance would cover and I didn't feel pressured at all to spend more. All of NY options were laid out clearly for me as well as their costs so I could decide what was best for myself. I will absolutely be coming back 🙂
- Oct. 11, 2021
This was my very shy daughter's first exe exam. She was a little nervous and the staff made her feel... comfortable and she was able to relax. I am so grateful to the eye care team for being so warm, friendly, and fast! When we walked in the door, they had my paperwork all ready for me and there was no wait for our appointment time. The best experience at an optometrist ever! I'm actually switching to Vision Plus from my current optometrist today 🙂
- Sep. 01, 2021
Highly recommended, if you have anisometropia I would highly recommend you to visit Dr.Hsu, for the... past decades, he is the only one who made my eyes feel better and have proper prescription, I dont feel any dry eyes or red eyes after getting the new prescription since last year. Also the folks in the clinic are very nice and helpful.
- May. 25, 2021
The only optometrist I will be seeing as long as I live in the area!
- May. 19, 2021
Dr. Hsu is awesome. He's warm-hearted and very patient. My daughter is wearing the ortho-K lenses Dr... . Hsu prescribed, and she has perfect eyesight now. She still needs to keep wearing them at night, but during the day, she can see clearly without glasses. For my case, I started to feel dry with my old brand contact lenses after wearing them for one hour, so I have to give the unworn ones away. However, with the new brand of contact lenses Dr. Hsu prescribed, I have no problem wearing them all day. I would sincerely recommend Dr. Hsu.
- May. 19, 2021
I wish I could give 10 stars! Me and my entire family have been going to Dr. Hsu for over 20 years a... nd he always goes above and beyond. Dr. Hsu and the rest of the staff here are excellent and very kind.
- Apr. 14, 2021
I had my annual eye exam with Dr. Sam Hsu for four years since his office in Redmond. Vision Plus mo... ved to nearby Crossroads Mall for two years. I do like the new location in Bellevue more than the old location in Redmond. It is a very good and convenient location. Vision Plus Crossroad has very professional and new Eye Examination Equipment. Dr. Sam Hsu and his office staffs are very friendly and very professional. Dr. Sam Hsu can speak both English and Mandarin very fluently. I am from Taipei, Taiwan. I do feel very comfortable and secure if I cannot full understand some terms in English. Dr. Sam Hsu will explain those terms in Chinese to me. Please make your eye exam with Dr. Sam Hsu either by phone or by website. Then, you will fully understand what I am saying. I do recommand Dr. Sam Hsu to everyone especially who lives in eastside.
- Mar. 11, 2021
My visit Vision Plus was great and the atmosphere with Dr Sam + staff made it comfortable. The team... was very knowledgeable and highly recommend

View All 141 Reviews

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 Crossroads in Crossroads 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.


blood sugaer level testing kit

Have diabetes?

Early detection and timely treatment can prevent vision loss.

Schedule Eye Exam