What Symptoms Could Indicate a Problem With the Eyes?

Worldwide, over 250 million people experience vision impairment based on data from the World Health Organization. Even worse, an estimated 80 percent of these cases are curable or could have been avoided with proper treatment. 

While minor eye conditions, such as occasional redness and irritation aren’t anything to worry about, other things that can be easy to ignore may actually point to serious eye conditions. Here, a Cambrian Park, CA optometrist lists the warning signs you shouldn’t ignore.

7 Warning Signs to Watch For

1. Eye Pain

Eye pain that comes on suddenly and is accompanied by redness and feelings of nausea or vomiting may be a sign of optic nerve damage. This condition is known as narrow-angle glaucoma, and it can cause permanent damage to your vision when left untreated.

2. Spots, Floaters, or Darkness

More often than not, the appearance of floaters is nothing to worry about unless you experience a sudden onset of spots, floaters, or darkness in a portion of your visual field. These conditions may indicate a tear in the retina or even retina detachment, which can cause permanent damage. 

3. Double Vision

Many eye conditions can cause double vision or ghost-like images. These signs may also result from other types of health problems, including stroke, so it’s important to get it checked out immediately. 

4. Dry Eyes

Symptoms associated with dryness, such as irritated, scratchy, watery eyes tend to get worse over time. When left untreated and the condition becomes severe, serious eye problems can develop and even vision loss can result.

5. Blind Spots and Blurred Vision 

These symptoms tend to develop when there’s a gradual loss of central vision, also known as macular degeneration. With this condition, the macula, which is a part of your retina, becomes damaged.

6. Loss of Peripheral Vision

A decrease in peripheral vision happens gradually and slowly, so it can be hard to notice. Peripheral vision loss can result from ongoing damage to the optic nerve, which paves the way for glaucoma to develop. This symptom is a perfect example of why it’s so important to get regular eye exams, which can spot symptoms that are hard to notice and treat eye problems before they become serious. 

7. Decrease in Vision in One Eye

A sudden loss of vision in one eye may indicate a problem with your retina, or even a macular hole. The risk of this happening increases with age, particularly for women.

If you’re experiencing one or more of the above signs, make it a point to schedule an appointment with your Cambrian Park, CA optometrist] today.