Preserve Your Vision With Bainbridge Vision

Diabetic Retinopathy in Bainbridge Island

Preserve Your Vision With Bainbridge Vision

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 Bainbridge Vision 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, Bainbridge Vision in Bainbridge Island 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 Bainbridge Island

Our optometry practice in Bainbridge Island

Photograph of Sherri Egashira
Hours
  • Monday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Tuesday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Wednesday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Thursday 8:30 am - 6:00 pm
  • Friday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • Aetna
  • Anthem
  • EyeMed
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Blue Cross
  • MetLife

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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48 Reviews
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- Nov. 20, 2023
Great local optometrist. Friendly and helpful staff. Was really well treated and felt like they ca... red about my well being and vision.
- Nov. 16, 2023
They are always very thorough and helpful.
- Nov. 13, 2023
Wonderful Professional Team. Excellent service and support.
- Nov. 07, 2023
Both Dr. Egashira and her staff are friendly, caring and accommodating.
- Oct. 21, 2023
Welcoming staff, lovely clinic, and thorough eye exam by Dr. Egashira.
- Oct. 13, 2023
I like the small town folksy atmosphere! Dr. Egashira is a professional. She's thorough, efficient... and subject matter expert current. Also has a good sense of humor !
- Sep. 01, 2023
Kira is exceptional. She’s extremely knowledgeable at fitting eyeglass frames and lenses, she’s ... passionate, and she makes the experience fun! Been going to her for 10+ years.
- Aug. 24, 2023
Friendly. Knowledgeable. Helpful. What else could you want?
- Aug. 18, 2023
Dr. Egashira is outstanding. Been going here for 15 years and have always had great care.
- Aug. 15, 2023
Great place for optometry services. Friendly and highly competent staff and providers.
- Jul. 09, 2023
It's a busy world where it often feels like it's easy to get lost in the crowd. My visit to Bainbrid... ge Vision reminded me of a time when compassion, patience, and professionalism were summits that every business strived to reach. Bainbridge Vision is the peak of the mountain. Dr. Egashira is kind and brilliant and she took time to answer all of my questions. I'm relatively new to eye care so I was a bit apprehensive when I walked into the office! I'm thankful that Dr. Egashira is so skillful at explaining all the intricacies.
- Jul. 01, 2023
Dr. Egashira has been working with my and later my family’s eyes ever since she was a optometry st... udent. I feel so lucky to have benefitted from her intellect and skill - always applied with generosity; she explains everything so well and maintains a lovely sense of humor. (We have had a few optical adventures together.) The entire staff is very helpful and a pleasure to work with. Picking out frames is just plain fun!
- Jun. 30, 2023
I love the positivity and kindness I experience at each visit. The staff is always friendly and welc... oming.
- Jun. 28, 2023
I've been seeing Dr Egashira since 1997. I wouldn't change for anything.
- Apr. 08, 2021
My visit was all these things and more! I was welcomed and listened to as I described what I was loo... king for in eyeglass frames. Lindsay is a great complement and partner to Dr. Steele. My eyes are well cared for - I was seen and heard - great visit!
- Aug. 09, 2020
Everyone was very friendly. From the front desk to the dr and everyone in between, I felt very comfo... rtable asking questions and discussing options.
- Apr. 05, 2020
I had suspected that my old glasses' prescription (acquired while living abroad) was out of date, an... d was causing me headaches, but I didn't realize how bad the old glasses were until I got my new ones from Dr. Egashira. These new glasses are a huge improvement. All the staff I contacted were very helpful--thank you!
- Jun. 14, 2019
All the staff are professional and courteous. Dr. Egashira is one of the most knowledgeable and help... ful Optometrists I have ever encountered. My exam was very thorough. She was especially helpful with fitting me with the correct contact lenes and accurate prescription.
- Sep. 14, 2018
I was impressed with everyone I came in contact with from start to finish. It was very easy to make ... an appointment. Parking was a breeze and the space is very welcoming. I encountered no wait time the day of my appointment and my exam was very thorough. There is a wide variety of frames to choose from and I purchased my favorite pair of glasses to date. The prescription is perfect.
- Jan. 14, 2018
Been going here for year and I always loved the atmosphere but I might a little bias.

View All 48 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 Bainbridge Vision in Bainbridge Island 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