A person’s eyes don’t just help them see the world—they can also reveal the state of their health. Eye exams can reveal issues like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. It’s essential for a person to receive medical care if they notice problems with their eyes. It may be more than just vision loss; it could also indicate a person’s overall health is suffering.
Let’s review five eye symptoms a person shouldn’t ignore.
Floaters and flashes of light
Floaters are little squiggles appearing in your field of vision. Getting floaters occasionally is normal as this occurs with age. However, experiencing a sudden increase in floaters could be concerning. This is especially true if you also see flashes of light.
Floaters and flashes of light could be a sign of a retinal tear. The symptoms could also indicate a person is suffering from posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). PVD mostly occurs in people over the age of 50 and is an aging process.
Blurry vision
Besides poor eyesight, many factors can cause blurry vision. One of the most common causes of blurred vision is dry eye. Artificial lubrication like eye drops can help resolve dry eye symptoms, but if you experience prolonged symptoms, you should schedule a visit to the eye doctor.
Blurry vision can also indicate more serious eye problems. For example, it could indicate macular degeneration, an eye disease leading to vision loss. If a person experiences blurry vision suddenly, they will need prompt medical attention since it could be due to a retinal detachment, a stroke, or a brain tumor.
Redness
Redness in the eyes does not always indicate a serious issue, since it could be caused by allergies or lack of sleep. In these cases, eye drops can help temporarily relieve stress.
However, a person should pay attention to any other symptoms. Redness could be a sign of eye infection if accompanied by pain or weepiness. This could occur to individuals suffering from pink eye or people who wear eye contacts.
Double vision
Double vision is when you look at one object but see two images. It’s essential to determine if one or both eyes are experiencing double vision in order to receive a correct diagnosis. It’s as simple as closing one eye and checking if the double vision remains or not.
If only one eye has double vision, it may be a corneal problem, dry eye, or age-related changes. If both eyes are suffering from double vision, this is potentially a more serious health issue stemming from a stroke, brain tumor, or uncontrolled high blood pressure.
Eye pain
Eye pain should receive immediate attention. If it happens suddenly, severely, or lasts longer than a minute, a person should seek out medical care.
Eye pain could be a symptom of issues like glaucoma, dry eye, or eye inflammation. Even if you know an injury caused the pain, it’s important to get evaluated by a medical professional. Since eye pain could be a sign of serious health issues, it’s best to see an eye doctor to receive treatment.
Have symptoms? Visit an eye doctor near you
At Manning, Rommel, & Thode in Lancaster, PA, our ophthalmologists strive to treat all patients with personalized care and attention. For over 20 years, we have been committed to the highest standards of care, treatment, and surgical innovation.
If you would like to schedule an appointment, give us a call at 717-393-7980 or fill out our contact form, and someone from our team will respond soon.