Seventy-five percent of adults use some sort of vision correction. About 64% of them wear eyeglasses, and about 11% wear contact lenses, either exclusively, or with glasses according to a study done by the Vision Council of America. While there are a few eye problems that are not so serious, it is best to strengthen your eyes so as to avoid much more serious eye issues down the road. Here are a few warning signs of eye problems:
Call your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms.
Crossed eyes
Crossed eyes may be a sign of blood vessel damage in your eye according to Stanford healthcare. Crossed eyes may be a sign that you have an eye tumor or a brain tumor, Graves’ disease, stroke, and various muscle and nerve disorders.
Dark spots in the center of your field of vision
When you see dark spots in the center of your field of vision, this may mean that you have muscular degeneration. According to Leslie Degner, an RN for over 20 years, The macula is a tiny spot in the middle of the retina that is responsible for the middle of our vision. This is where the photoreceptor cells are dying, hence the name macular degeneration. Some other symptoms of possible macular degeneration include: difficulty reading in low light, difficulty driving at night, difficulty determining shades of colors, experiencing blurred vision, difficulty recognizing faces, and increased sensitivities to glare.
Double vision
If you experience double vision in both eyes, this may be due to the squinting according to the National Health Service based in the UK. health.com notes that double vision may also be a sign of a stroke.
Dry eyes with itching or burning
Dry eyes that either itch or burn (or both) may be a result of aging. While it is not as serious as other symptoms, there are other causes of dry eyes such as drugs, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and prolonged computer use, according to Ann Marie Griff, O.D.
Floaters or flashers
Floaters are small, dark spots or squiggly lines that move around in your vision according to NIH.gov. They move as your eyes move and may dart away at times, too. They state that in most instances, floaters are simply the cause of aging and can be a nuisance. However, there are some rare serious cases that lead to having surgery done to remove these pesky floaters from the line of vision.
Trouble adjusting to dark rooms
If you have trouble adjusting to dark rooms after being in the light, there may be a chance that you can develop macular degeneration. This is partly due to the fact that the photoreceptor cells that help us to see and navigate in the dark are deteriorating.
Episodes of cloudy vision
Episodes of cloudy vision may lead a person to blurry vision and cataracts according to Gary Heiting, OD. It may also be a sign of astigmatism and myopia, among many others.
Sudden loss of vision
If you have a sudden vision loss, go see your doctor right away as this is not normal.
Common causes of sudden vision loss include eye trauma, blockage of blood flow to or from the retina (retinal artery occlusion or retinal vein occlusion), and pulling of the retina away from its usual position at the back of the eye (retinal detachment), according to JAMA Network, a medical journal covered by the American Medical Association that covers all biomedical news.
Redness around the eye
Red eyes can have many causes such as allergens, pollution, smoke-dry air, and other environmental symptoms. Redness around or in the eye can indicate that you have pink eye, digital eye strain or even acute glaucoma. However, this is not an extensive list. Since red eyes have a lot of different causes, see your doctor and they will be able to narrow down and even prescribe you something to make you feel better.
Loss of peripheral vision
See your doctor if you have a sudden loss of peripheral vision. Loss of peripheral vision maybe leads to other diagnoses accordion to Gary Heiting, OD such as:
- Glaucoma
- Retinitis pigmentosa
- Eye strokes or occlusions
- Detached retina
- Brain damage from stroke, disease or injury
- Neurological damage such as from optic neuritis
- Compressed optic nerve head (papilledema)
- Concussions (head injuries)*
