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Eye Disease Management in South Lake Union

Advanced Vision Solutions for an Enhanced Quality of Life

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Early diagnosis means earlier treatment and better outcomes.

Whether you have glaucoma, macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, or other eye diseases — we can help.

At Urban Optix, we provide comprehensive eye exams, diagnostic screening and cutting-edge treatments that can slow eye disease progression and help maintain your vision.

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Give Your Eyes the Care They Deserve

Eye Disease Management Includes:

  • Comprehensive eye exam

    Comprehensive eye exams are critical in catching sight-robbing eye diseases that typically don’t show early symptoms.

  • Diagnostic screening

    Certain changes in your eyes can indicate eye conditions. Our optometrists can diagnose the disease and determine the cause of these changes.

  • Treatments and surgeries

    We provide a wide range of treatments, including prescription eye drops and other medication. If needed, we'll refer you to the right specialist for eye surgery.

  • After care and follow-up

    We provide follow-up exams and after-care treatments to help you manage your symptoms and safeguard your vision.


What Are the 4 Most Common Eye Diseases?

  • Diabetic Retinopathy

    If you have diabetes, you should be aware of the risk of diabetic retinopathy. Elevated blood sugar can cause blood vessels in the eye to become inflamed or swell. In the early stages, you may not notice symptoms, but advanced diabetic retinopathy can cause blurred vision or eye inflammation.

    Diabetic retinopathy treatment includes:

    • Prescription medication
    • Laser surgeries
    • Anti-VEGF and steroid injections
    • Vitrectomy
  • Glaucoma

    Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness and often doesn’t show early symptoms. High pressure inside the eye causes glaucoma, and the purpose of glaucoma management is to reduce intraocular pressure.

    Glaucoma treatments include:

    • Prescription eye drops or medications
    • Laser procedures
    • Filtration surgery
    • Drainage tubes
    • Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS)
  • Cataracts

    Cataracts are cloudy formations on the eye lens. They can make your vision blurry and distorted. To restore normal vision, an optometrist will recommend cataract surgery, which involves replacing the cloudy lens with an artificial intraocular lens.

  • Macular Degeneration

    Macular degeneration, or AMD, occurs when the macula or the central part of the retina deteriorates. This results in blurred and distorted vision.

    There are two types of AMD: Dry AMD and Wet AMD.

    Although there isn’t a treatment for dry AMD, lifestyle changes and specific supplements can help prevent further vision deterioration.

    Wet AMD treatments include:

    • Photodynamic therapy
    • Anti-VEGF injections
    • Laser photocoagulation

Distorted or Blurred Vision? Have a family history of serious eye diseases?

Schedule an eye exam at Urban Optix in South Lake Union. Early diagnosis and treatment can help preserve eye health and prevent vision loss.


Eye Disease Management in South Lake Union

Our optometry practice in South Lake Union

Photograph of Sean Thoreby
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 - 5:00 pm
  • Friday 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • United Healthcare
  • Aetna
  • Anthem
  • EyeMed
  • Blue Cross
  • First Choice Health
Patient Reviews
4.6
172 Reviews
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- Apr. 11, 2024
Love this place. Staff is always so friendly and knowledgeable. Can't recommend enough
- Apr. 04, 2024
I had an appointment to get fitted for contact lenses for the first time and my experience was great... ! Everyone was so nice (Dr. Yu, Anna, and receptionist I didn’t catch the name of). They all took their time explaining everything I needed to know about contacts and were patient and helpful teaching me how to put them in and care for them. Thank you guys!
- Mar. 01, 2024
A great place for eye exams & purchasing frames and lenses. Great experience.
- Feb. 05, 2024
When I left my job, I didn't go to Urban Optix for a couple years. But I couldn't find a place that ... had the same service and vibe. This is such a sweet place. They are quick, fun, and have great taste. And they always ask about my dog/child. lol.
- Feb. 05, 2024
Great !!! Everything
- Jan. 21, 2024
I recently came to Urban Optix as a new patient and had an amazing experience! I scheduled my appoin... tment online, and had my annual exam with Dr. Lee. She is amazing, and so thorough and kind! She took her time to explain everything, and was extremely patient in answering all my questions—no matter how big or small. I love finding great doctors that actually care, and no doubt I’ve found a good one with Dr. Lee. I also wanted to give contacts a try after 10+ years of glasses, so we did it. Anna was training me and she was the kindest, most patient teacher ever. She was giving me love demos with her own contacts, and never once made me feel like a nuisance. It took me an hour to get them in, and after an hour of trying to get them out Dr. Lee had to help, lol. But that’s on me, they were doing nothing but being supportive and cheering me on. I’d also like to note that they are VERY transparent with pricing and what you’re going to be paying before you do anything at all. Not once did I feel like I didn’t know what was going on or what I was being charged for. Kudos to the team for being so thorough with all my insurance info and copays! All this to say, I had an amazing experience and will certainly be coming back as long as Dr. Lee is here!
- Jan. 06, 2024
Everyone is nice and professional!
- Dec. 30, 2023
Fantastic staff and Dr. Lee is amazing! Very knowledgeable and friendly!
- Dec. 29, 2023
I've been coming to Urban Optix for a few years and it's always been an excellent experience! Helpf... ul and knowledgable staff, never have to wait for my appointment, and Dr. Traci Lee is just amazing! Highly recommend this shop.
- Dec. 16, 2023
Great experience with the doctor and the staff.
- Nov. 27, 2023
Everyone here was awesome! So sweet and welcoming definitely recommend urban optix! Anna was really ... great to chat with while picking out my glasses
- Nov. 25, 2023
The entire staff is very customer service oriented. Dr. Thoreby is a great 👍 optometrist, explain... ed every step of the eye exam helping to learn how to take care of your eyes and always asked if you have any questions.
- Sep. 23, 2023
Great group of humans here. Very friendly, informative, and efficient!
- Sep. 14, 2023
Traci Lee is the very best. Such a professional, and extremely thorough.
- Jan. 13, 2023
I've been going to Dr. Traci and Urban Optix on and off since 2016 and they are great-easy to schedu... le, great location, updated technology, and a great selection of glasses. I had to use a different clinic for a few years due to poor coverage with my grad student insurance (although I've heard that UO's insurance policies have been updated and UW GAIP goes a lot further now), and I found UO to have much more modern and proactive eye medicine than the other place I tried. Their frames selection is the best I've ever seen and they have unique glasses (such as Masunaga) you cannot find anywhere else, the staff are experts on fit, lenses, etc, and the prices are very fair (even when I switched clinics, I always bought frames here). They've gone out of their way to order frames for me and work with me on payment options when I was a PhD student struggling to afford glasses. UO loyal!
- Jan. 09, 2023
i had such a great experience here (: dr lee is awesome. she was so helpful, and because my insuranc... e wasn’t going to cover the cost of my new glasses, she made sure i didn’t feel any pressure to buy some while i was there. i ended up getting a pair anyway and the person that helped me with the frames was so sweet. totally recommend this place! 💞
- Dec. 29, 2022
Urban Optix is the absolute best. I’ve been going for over 5 years now. Beyond the customer experi... ence, a full 5 starts. Dr. Lee and Dr. Thoreby are both outstanding. I’ve seen both of them over the past few years and they take the time to get to know me as a patient, my lifestyle, and concerns with my eye sight and health conditions. I’ve recommended them to folks around me, but finally getting to this long over due 5 star review! 🙂 See you in the new year!
- Nov. 21, 2022
Decided to get contacts and had my training with Gigi. She is super patient and supportive, and real... ly encouraged me to finish it. Also really appreciate Cathy for my first training. The eye exam was also very smooth with Dr. Sean and he is also very responsive regarding to my questions.
- Sep. 09, 2022
Dr. Lee is so attentive and answers all of my questions. Her staff is knowledgeable and welcoming, a... nd they have a great selection of glasses/sunglasses. I also love that her team helps me understand my insurance and what my plan covers. My eye exam finally doesn't feel like a chore!
- Jun. 09, 2022
TLDR: The Opticians are knowledgable on lens and frame styling. These new glasses are clear, comfort... able; do not slide off my face, are stylish. Thanks to Dr. Lee and Optical team! <3 <3 🙂 -- It was my day off and I needed an eye exam. I was able to booked an eye exam through their online booking system within less than 2 hours of the appointment all on my phone! I knew my vision/medical insurance ahead of time and this made everything pretty simple. I walked in for my exam and got seen right away by the same tech I saw last year; nice to see familiar faces! Dr. Traci Lee is so personable and nice. After my exam; I was given some new contacts to try out and was greeted with an optician to help frame styling. I am about a -9.50D in both eyes and needed some new eyewear. Fitting my "coke-bottle" lenses can often be hard, especially with small pupillary distances. Also, managing function AND fashion with my prescription can be such a task! I was presented with MANY options and then possible color ways available for special order online. After finding the perfect pair I was able to score some Non-Rx sunglasses with nose pads; this can be super hard to find if you have a flat-asian bridge. LOL :3 Anyway, this was my second visit; and what prompted me to finally write this was the selling experience. I received frequent updates and emails on when my glasses and contacts were ready; love that. All in all, Dr. Lee's optical team is so stellar.

View All 172 Reviews

Eye Disease Management FAQs

Do eye problems run in the family?

Yes. Genetics increase our chances of developing diseases that impact vision and eye health.

In fact, over 350 eye diseases are attributed to hereditary factors, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts, glaucoma, and retinitis pigmentosa. Learning about your family’s medical history can provide important clues regarding your predisposition to certain eye diseases and vision problems.

How to prevent eye diseases?

Adopting a healthy lifestyle and getting regular eye exams can improve your chances of maintaining clear vision and eye health.

Make sure to:

  • Avoid smoking
  • Maintain healthy blood sugar levels if you have diabetes
  • Wear sunglasses that offer 100 UV protection
  • Have regular eye exams
What are the symptoms of serious eye problems?

Although certain eye diseases show specific symptoms, the signs vary according to the condition. Keep in mind that some eye diseases, such as glaucoma, often don’t show early symptoms—which is why it's important to get regular eye exams.

If you experience any of the following, contact Urban Optix immediately.

  • Blurry or double vision
  • Eye inflammation or eye pain
  • Eye Floaters
  • Eye swelling
  • Blind spots

If you experience any symptoms or have a family history of eye diseases, make sure to schedule a consultation and eye exam at Urban Optix in South Lake Union today.


senior lady with macular degeneration

Compassionate Care and Expertise You Can Trust

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