7 Warning Signs that you may have an Eye Disease
7 Warning Signs that you may have an Eye Disease
8 December 2023
The eyes are one of the vital organs of our body, which are susceptible to a variety of eye diseases. Eyes are indeed delicate, you need to be cautious of them and be prepared to detect the early signs of underlying eye disease.Keeping your eyes free from any sort of infection, dust, and debris is always crucial. As per the WHO, 80% of cases of blindness in the World are either preventable or curable. Yet, because most of the youth and older generation lack awareness of eye health and eye disease, they are feeling terrible pain from vision loss.So, what are the warning signs that you need not miss out on to prevent any eye-related infection or hazards?

1. Is Night Blindness an Eye Disease?

Night blindness is a condition where patients face difficulty in adjusting to low light conditions or in a dark room. It is coated as nyctalopia in medical terms, this is not an eye disease. It is a symptom in itself, which helps you to diagnose if you have a vitamin A deficiency or eye disease like cataract or retinal Dystrophy.

Symptoms and signs of Night blindness

  • Difficult adjusting in the dark room or low light conditions
  • Light and glare sensitivity
  • Difficulty in identifying colors in low light
  • Delayed time of adjustments to light and dark conditions

Treatment of Night Blindness

Night blindness treatment is not the same for all cases. A patient is treated only after identifying the root cause of treatment. Know more about the night blindness causes and treatment.

i. Cataracts

Night blindness associated with Cataracts is treatable through surgery. Basically, the eye surgeon removes the cloudy lens of your infected eyes to treat your case.

ii. Vitamin A deficiency

Vitamin A deficiency when treated with supplements can cure your night blindness. As per the standards, 700 µg men and 600 µg for women are daily recommended vitamin A intake. Carrots, eggs, sweet potatoes, mango, and broccoli are some sources of vitamin A.

iii. Retinal Dystrophy

On the counterpart, if your night blindness is caused by retinal dystrophy, it is certainly incurable. The disease is caused by a genetic disorder when the light-sensitive tissue retina is impacted greatly. However, some treatments to slow the disease progression and vision improvement can still be found in the eye clinic near you.

2. Redness in the Eyes explained

Redness in the eyes, also known as conjunctivitis, is a condition when the conjunctiva of your eyes. It is one of the common conditions of eyes caused due to either of the following factors,

i. Irritation:

Eye irritation can be caused by the introduction of foreign factors in the eyes like dust, pollen, smoke, and fog. Sometimes, using contact lenses may also trigger the situation.

ii. Infection:

Pink eye infection is caused when the thin layer conjunctiva, gets infected with viruses, allergies, and bacteria.

iii. Injury:

Redness in the eyes is also common when you have any sort of scratch or injury on the surface of the eyes. This condition triggers the swelling of blood vessels inside the eyes. Thus, eyes can become red.

3. Dry Eyes not really an Eye Disease?

Dry eyes are the condition when your eyes lack enough moisture content i,e less tear production. In the absence of enough tears within the eyes, the eye surface becomes red, itchy, and irritated.

Symptoms of Dry Eyes

The symptoms of dry eyes are,
  • Light sensitivity
  • Blurred vision
  • Burning sensation in your eyes

Causes of Dry Eyes

For a sign of relief, you need to use artificial tears to lubricate your eyes, Blinking more frequently also helps to relieve the excessive dryness of the eyes. Some of the common causes of dry eyes are also listed below,

i. Aging:

As the age increases gradually, the tear glands start to produce fewer tears. This could be the reason you experience dry eyes as you grow in age.

ii. Medical conditions

Medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, Graves' disease, diabetes, and scleroderma can cause dry eyes. Also, hormonal changes during pregnancy and menopause can significantly reduce the amount of tears produced in your eyes.

iii. Environmental factors

Air, wind, smoke, and other environmental factors can also cause dryness in your eyes. Using sunglasses to protect your eyes from dust and wind is suggested.

4. Excessive Discharge or Eye Disease

Excessive eye discharge is not a common thing to happen. It can be a warning sign in the eye, you need not miss out., If you are the one who is lately having excessive tearing or epiphora, we recommend you make an appointment with the eye doctor.

Causes of Excessive Discharge

Because, it has a vast array of causes, which are,
  • Allergies
  • Conjunctivitis
  • Blocked tear ducts
  • Injury
  • Present Medications
It might feel uncommon, but the epiphora condition can be triggered if you have dry eyes for a long time. For instance, taking antihistamines, and decongestant medicine can result in dry eyes and simultaneously cause eyes to produce unusual tears anonymously.Needless to say, catching a cold more often can also cause excessive tearing. It may go on its own, while ophthalmologists recommend artificial tears, antibiotics, and some anti-inflammatory drugs to ease the eye condition.

5. Double Vision (Diplopa)

Diplopia is a condition when you see two images of a single item, due to improper focusing. You can have conditions of double vision, either monocular or binocular diplopia. In this condition, you can have double vision either when a single eye is open or double eyes are open.
BasisMonocular diplopiaBinocular diplopia
Opening of eyesDouble vision when only one eye is openDouble vision when two eyes are open
Causecataract or a corneal irregularity.Problem with eye muscles or optic nerves that carry signals to the brain

Causes of Double Vision

From eye pain, and discomfort to nausea, symptoms of double vision can be seen as many. Some factors causing double vision are,

i. Issues in Eye Muscles co-ordination

Whenever the eye muscles are damaged or weakened, then the issue of focusing an object properly can be witnessed. Eyes muscles are responsible for eye coordination and control, and this is why due to improper alignment, you can see double vision in certain cases.

ii. Nerve Problems

Optic nerves are responsible for carrying messages regarding the positioning of the objects, their dimensions, and others. If these nerves are damaged, double vision can result.

iii. Brain problems

The brain sometimes fails to process visual information signaled by nerves. Double vision may indicate brain issues like tumor or stroke, which one need to assess correctly within time, by visiting an eye expert nearby.

6. Flashes and floaters

Flashes and floaters are warning signs that there could be retinal tears or retinal detachment in your eyes. Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), where the vitreous gel in your eyes gets shrunk and gets away from the rib on the retina, can cause a certain shadow on the retina, making those floaters. Other signs and symptoms can be accompanied in this situation.

Treatment of Flashes and Floaters

Flashers and floaters can only be treated after determining the underlying cause, and what exactly is triggering the situation.
  • Flashes and floaters resulting from Retinal tears can be treated with laser surgery or vitrectomy.
  • Attaching the retinas through surgery is an emergency medical treatment against flashes.
  • Floaters resulting from PVD can go away within a few weeks or months

7.  Cloudy vision

Cloudy vision can be a warning sign that you need to see a doctor. The condition may also result in loss of peripheral vision, Night vision problems, floaters, double vision, or loss of peripheral vision. Additionally, halos and glares around light can be signs that you have an eye disease.It is one of the situations where you can get mild to severe difficulty in seeing things clearly, either in one eye or both eyes. The underlying causes of cloudy vision can be some eye diseases like,

Conclusion

If you experience eye pain, redness, headaches, or any sort of trouble focusing, there are chances that you may have an eye disease. You should consult an eye doctor nearby right away to ensure healthy eyesight. Strabismus, brain tumors, amblyopia, optic neuritis, and other conditions can put excessive pressure on your eyes, which you need to be aware of.On the brighter side, there is a chance that your headaches can be migraine and sinus infections, and not necessarily an eye disease. However, getting a comprehensive examination is recommended to prevent vision loss and improve eye health. Your vision is precious thus, take the next step toward preventing eye disease with a daily eye care routine. Also,  schedule your eye exam at Vision Concern.

Yes, we provide emergency eye care for conditions like eye injuries, sudden vision loss, and infections. If you experience any urgent eye problems, please contact us immediately, and our team will assist you in getting the care you need.

Signs to watch for include blurry vision, floaters, sudden loss of vision, eye pain, redness, or sensitivity to light. If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to schedule an eye exam at Vision Concern Eye Clinic as soon as possible for early diagnosis and treatment.

If you’re experiencing blurred vision, headaches, or eye strain, it may be a sign that you need glasses or contact lenses. Our eye exams will help determine whether you need corrective lenses. We’ll also discuss your options based on your lifestyle and preferences, including glasses, contacts, or even refractive surgery like LASIK.