Specialty Eye

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Specialty Eye Personalized Innovative EyecareVisit our website:http://www.specialtyeye.com

Our mission is to provide specialty eyecare through personalized service and innovative products.

If your child struggles with reading—losing their place, complaining of headaches, or just avoiding books altogether—it'...
10/19/2026

If your child struggles with reading—losing their place, complaining of headaches, or just avoiding books altogether—it's natural to wonder about a learning disability. But there's another possibility worth ruling out first: a vision problem that a standard eye chart won't catch.

Most school vision screenings only test how well a child sees things far away. They don't test how well the two eyes work together up close, which is exactly what reading requires. A child can have perfect 20/20 distance vision and still struggle significantly with near-vision tasks.

One condition in particular, convergence insufficiency, is estimated to affect around 10 to 15% of the general population, according to NIH-funded research. It happens when the eyes have difficulty turning inward together to focus on close objects. Because the symptoms—trouble concentrating, words seeming to move, headaches during reading—can look similar to attention or learning issues, this condition sometimes goes undiagnosed for years.

The reassuring part: it's identifiable through a comprehensive binocular vision evaluation, and it's treatable. Vision therapy is a structured program designed to help the eyes learn to work together more efficiently.

Here's something that might surprise you: an eye exam can sometimes pick up on high blood pressure before you even know ...
10/16/2026

Here's something that might surprise you: an eye exam can sometimes pick up on high blood pressure before you even know you have it.

Persistent high blood pressure can gradually damage the small blood vessels in the retina — a condition called hypertensive retinopathy. Because the eye is one of the only places in the body where blood vessels can be examined directly, without any invasive testing, changes there can offer an early clue to what's happening with blood pressure elsewhere in the body.

The tricky part is that hypertensive retinopathy often causes no noticeable symptoms early on. That's exactly why a comprehensive, dilated eye exam matters — it lets your eye doctor look closely at the retina and its blood vessels, sometimes catching something worth flagging to your primary care provider before it becomes more serious.

It's a good reminder that eye exams are about more than just your glasses prescription. If you're due for one, we'd love to see you. Call Kirkland at (425) 821-8900 or Bellevue at (425) 454-2028.

10/15/2026

If drops alone haven't given you real relief from dry eye, here's an option you should know about. 💡

OptiLight is an FDA-approved intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment specifically for dry eye disease caused by meibomian gland dysfunction—the most common underlying cause of chronic dry eye. It's non-invasive, takes about 15 minutes, and is backed by more than 20 clinical studies.

We're proud to be among the practices in the Pacific Northwest offering OptiLight, which is currently available at our Kirkland location.

If you or your child had a concussion and are still dealing with headaches, blurry near vision, trouble focusing, or eye...
10/14/2026

If you or your child had a concussion and are still dealing with headaches, blurry near vision, trouble focusing, or eye fatigue weeks or months later—it's worth considering that vision might be part of what's going on.

The eyes and brain work together closely to process what we see, and a concussion can disrupt that coordination. Common visual symptoms after a head injury include difficulty focusing up close, double vision, sensitivity to light, trouble tracking moving objects, and headaches or fatigue during reading or screen time. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, difficulty shifting focus between near and far—called accommodative insufficiency—has been reported in as many as half of patients seen at concussion specialty clinics.

These symptoms can be easy to overlook or attribute to general recovery, but they're identifiable through a functional vision evaluation, which looks specifically at how the eyes track, focus, and coordinate—not just how clearly you can read an eye chart.

Our doctors have residency training specifically in binocular vision and brain injury, so if concussion-related vision symptoms are lingering, we're glad to take a closer look.

Your sunglasses should keep up with you. 😎☀️Whether you’re running, cycling, hiking, boating, or simply enjoying a day o...
10/13/2026

Your sunglasses should keep up with you. 😎☀️

Whether you’re running, cycling, hiking, boating, or simply enjoying a day outdoors, the right sunglasses can make a big difference in comfort and vision.

When choosing sunglasses for an active lifestyle, look for:
🕶️ 100% UVA & UVB protection - for reliable UV protection
🌊 Polarized lenses - to reduce distracting glare from water, roads, and other reflective surfaces
🏃 A secure, comfortable fit - that stays in place when you move
💪 Impact-resistant lenses - for added durability
👓 Prescription options - so you can enjoy clear vision without wearing contacts underneath

And remember: polarization and UV protection are different features—ideally, your sunglasses should provide both.

Not sure which sunglasses are best for your favorite activities? Our team at Specialty Eye can help you find eyewear that fits your vision, lifestyle, and outdoor needs.

📖 Read our latest blog: https://www.specialtyeye.com/blog/the-best-sunglasses-for-active-lifestyles.html

📍 Kirkland, WA
📞 (425) 821-8900

Calling all fall sports parents — a few contact lens reminders before the season gets even busier.Pack a backup pair (or...
10/12/2026

Calling all fall sports parents — a few contact lens reminders before the season gets even busier.

Pack a backup pair (or a pair of glasses) in the sports bag. Lenses get lost more often than anyone expects—dropped in the locker room, lost during a bad landing, you name it. Remind your athlete to wash their hands before touching their lenses, even at practice when things feel casual. And no rinsing or swimming in lenses, even for "just a second" after a sweaty game.

One more thing worth mentioning: if their eyes look red or irritated after a game or practice, it's worth actually checking in rather than assuming it's just sweat or dust. Contact lens-related eye infections can develop quickly, and catching them early makes a real difference.

Tag a sports parent who needs this in their group chat. And if it's been a while since your athlete's last contact lens check-up, give us a call—Kirkland at (425) 821-8900 or Bellevue at (425) 454-2028.

Time for a little eye health quiz! 🧠 Swipe through and see how many you get right—then let us know your score in the com...
10/09/2026

Time for a little eye health quiz! 🧠 Swipe through and see how many you get right—then let us know your score in the comments.

Spoiler: it's not all about carrots. 🥕

Vitamin A does support eye health, but no food is going to sharpen your vision beyond what's naturally possible. And here's one that surprises many parents: a child can pass a routine school vision screening and still have an underlying vision problem, because those screenings typically only test distance vision, not how well the eyes work together up close.

The takeaway? Fun facts are great, but the only real way to know where your eye health stands is a comprehensive exam. If it's been a while, we'd love to see you at Specialty Eye.

10/08/2026

Do your eyelids ever feel… GUNKY? 👀
That “ick” along your lash line isn’t just makeup buildup—it could be blepharitis or even Demodex mites living along your eyelids and meibomian glands.

Left untreated, it can:
- Make dry eye worse.
- Cause redness, irritation, and infections
- Leave your lids looking crusty and inflamed

The good news?
With the right eyelid hygiene and in-office treatments, we can calm the inflammation, clear the debris, and protect your long-term eye comfort.

Don’t ignore that gunky lash line.
👉 Send this to someone who always complains about “tired eyes.”
👉 Book a dry eye and eyelid health evaluation with us at Specialty Eye.

SpecialtyEye SeattleEyeDoctor

Did you know your eye doctor might be one of the first people to notice signs of diabetes—sometimes before your primary ...
10/08/2026

Did you know your eye doctor might be one of the first people to notice signs of diabetes—sometimes before your primary care doctor does?

It comes down to biology: the eyes are one of the only places in the body where blood vessels can be examined directly, without any invasive procedure. During a dilated eye exam, we can see the tiny blood vessels in the retina, and changes there can be an early clue to underlying health conditions like diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association, up to one in five people with type 2 diabetes already show some signs of diabetic retinopathy at the time they're diagnosed—often because the condition can develop silently for years before symptoms appear.

That's exactly why the ADA recommends a dilated eye exam right at diagnosis for type 2 diabetes and within five years of diagnosis for type 1. If any retinopathy is present, annual monitoring is recommended after that, since catching changes early gives the best chance of protecting vision long-term.

If it's been a while since your last comprehensive eye exam, now's a great time to schedule one.

Have you noticed your child sitting closer to the TV or squinting at the whiteboard now that fall is here? You're not im...
10/06/2026

Have you noticed your child sitting closer to the TV or squinting at the whiteboard now that fall is here? You're not imagining it—there may be a seasonal pattern at play.

Several long-term studies have found that myopia (nearsightedness) tends to progress faster in kids during the fall and winter months compared to summer. Researchers think it comes down to two things that naturally shift with the seasons: less time outdoors and more close-up work like reading, homework, and screens once school picks back up.

This doesn't mean anything is going wrong — it just means a child's prescription can change unevenly throughout the year, which is exactly why regular monitoring matters, not just an annual check-up.

At Specialty Eye, our myopia management program tracks how a child's eyes are developing over time so we can adjust the plan as needed—whether that includes multifocal contact lenses, orthokeratology (corneal reshaping), or low-dose atropine drops.

If your child hasn't had an eye exam recently, now is a great time to check in.

Address

11830 NE 128th Street, Ste 1
Kirkland, WA
98034

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+14258218900

Website

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