Potentially Dangerous Eye Problems You Should Not Ignore

Vision is one of our most important senses, but did you know that many people rarely see their eye doctors? While an annual eye appointment is recommended, a lot of people do not take this recommendation seriously. Do you? It’s important because without regular visits to the eye doctor, problems can often go undetected until they become serious. Even if you’re not having regular eye appointments, here are some eye problems that should send you to the eye doctor immediately.

• Double vision is never a good sign. If the double vision is confined to one eye, it could mean corneal issues or a problem with the lens. If it is occurring in both eyes, it could be the lens or a problem with the alignment of your eye muscles. This could be due to a severe problem, like an autoimmune issue or neurological problem, so it’s important to get to the bottom of it right away.
• Blurriness is one of the more common eye problems. It could be an indication that you need glasses, or that you have macular degeneration or glaucoma. To determine the cause and clear up your vision, see your eye doctor.
• If you suddenly see more flashes and floaters, make an eye appointment. It’s not uncommon to see something in your vision every now and then, but a sudden increase of spots or light flashes could indicate a detached retina or torn blood vessels. Fortunately, your eye doctor has a number of options for treating this problem.
• Grittiness is uncomfortable but treatable. A gritty feeling in your eye could mean that you have a condition known as dry eye. This condition can also cause sharp pain, teary eyes, and light sensitivity, but can be treated by an eye doctor.
• Glares and halos can make it hard to see. Halos appear as bright rings around lights, and glare is light penetrating your eye and causing vision problems. Both of these symptoms can be signs of cataracts.
• Watery, red, eyes could indicate an infection. A corneal infection called keratitis causes red, watery eyes, and can also cause vision loss if it is not treated.
• If your pupils are uneven, call an eye doctor. It could be something minor, but it could also be a brain issue like an aneurism or a tumor.
• Light sensitivity can have many causes. It could be secondary to migraines or a sign of cataracts. It could also mean an infection, and might mean you have ocular herpes.
• Eye pain is never normal. Itching and burning could mean blepharitis, a condition caused by bacteria or the microscopic mites living on your eyelids. Eye pain can also be caused by inflammation of the eyelid’s oil gland, an infection, a stye, or overexposure to the sun. Seeing your doctor can help you rule out serious problems and find relief from the pain.
• See your doctor if you are losing peripheral vision. If you can’t see things that are not right in front of you, this is known as peripheral vision loss. It can be cause by the optic nerve injury of glaucoma, which can lead to total blindness.

Whether or not you’re experiencing any of these eye problems symptoms, it’s important to schedule regular eye appointments with a trusted eye doctor. If you’re looking for an ophthalmologist or optometrist in Derry, Londonderry, Raymond or Windham, Spindel Eye Associates is here for you. Having spent over 35 years providing eye care in New Hampshire, we proudly provide our patients with personalized eye care, using top of the line technology. For more information or to schedule an appointment call 603.421.6536 or contact us through our website.