Our vision is so important when it comes to the way that we see the world around us. It’s something that many of us take for granted until we experience some degree of vision loss, blurry vision, floaters, or vision-related headaches. It’s really important to take any eye symptoms that you experience seriously. If you ignore any warning signs that present themselves, you could be putting yourself at risk for permanent vision loss or health risks. Let’s take a look at five cases of when you should see an eye doctor.
Blurry Vision
You may already have blurry vision at times if you have corrective lenses and take them off periodically. However, blurry vision that comes on suddenly or is drastically different from what you’ve experienced your whole life should be checked by a professional. There are a number of causes that might be to blame. For example, your prescription may need to be updated. You may also be suffering from a condition like glaucoma, macular degeneration, or retinal disease.
To repair your blurry vision, your doctor may recommend that you improve your sleep habits to ensure you’re well rested. You may also be told to take breaks from screen time throughout the day to give your eyes a rest. Lubricating the eyes may also fix the problem.
Persistent Headaches
Headaches are caused by all kinds of things from chemical exposure to an increase in allergy symptoms. Illness can even cause headaches. However, frequent headaches that are occurring every few days and are difficult to get rid of could be related to your vision. Keep an eye on your headaches to see if they feel like they’re originating in the area around your eyes, or if you feel pain in your eyes. Exposure to light may also cause the pain to feel worse. Your eye doctor will determine if your headaches are caused by eye strain from staring at a computer for too many hours at work, or if a more serious condition could be to blame like glaucoma or infection.
Double Vision
Seeing double is something that most people will experience very suddenly. When this happens, contact a doctor immediately. There are likely some very wrong that should be addressed. You may have experienced a physical injury to the eyes, stroke, a tumor may be present, or an illness could be causing this complication. It’s a good idea to have more serious double vision causes ruled out as quickly as possible to eliminate the risk of a serious medical event.
Double vision can occur in just one eye, but it’s something that can affect both eyes as well. You may notice that the images you’re seeing are situated next to one another, but they could also be overlapping or on top of one another. Treatments include various eye exercises, specialty glasses, and surgery in worst-case scenarios.
The Presence of Floaters
Floaters are small spots that will move about your vision. As you adjust your eyes to try and see them, they will continue to move around. Some people also experience floaters as small, wavy lines in their vision. There’s nothing physically in front of your eyes. This issue is caused by shadows cast by microscopic fibers in the vitreous fluid inside of your eyes.
Floaters are common in people who have high blood pressure, which is why it’s important to contact a medical professional when you’re experiencing floaters. You could be at risk of a heart attack or stroke, and your vision is the first thing to be affected. Take this warning sign seriously.
Eye Pain
We talked a bit about head pain that originates in the eye area, but there is physical eye pain that is quite different from the kind that comes with an unpleasant headache. You may experience eye pain when blinking, which could mean you have something embedded in the surface of your eye that needs to be removed because it’s rubbing up against the surface of your eyelid. Pain could also be caused by inflammation and irritation in the eyes. Infection is something that will result in pain until it has been treated with the use of an antibiotic drop or oral medication.
Unfortunately, we’re seeing an increase in eye pain because of the amount of time that people spend on their devices each day. After working in front of a computer screen all day, people go home to sit in front of their television set, scroll through their phones and play video games on their tablets. It’s important that you don’t just assume that your eye pain is caused by strain though. Make sure that you speak with a professional that can get to the root cause of your pain. This will lead you down the path to less eye pain while also preventing eye complications.
Keep in mind, that these aren’t the only times that you should be seeking the assistance and advice of a medical professional. If you notice any changes in your vision or eye health, contact an eye doctor Round Rock or a specialist immediately. A routine checkup is another way that you can prevent major eye health issues. Spotting problems when they first creep up allows you to take the necessary steps toward preventing further complications.
Call us today at 512-243-7519 to schedule an appointment with our eye doctor.
