In celebration of Healthy Vision Month, we’re sharing our expert insights on how to keep you and your loved ones seeing life through a healthy lens.
5 Signs Your Vision May Not Be “Healthy”
1. Impaired vision
Impaired vision can present in many ways, including: flashes and floaters or spots, narrowed field of vision, blurry or double vision, impaired peripheral vision, or insufficient night vision.
2. Redness or swelling
Eye redness (or "bloodshot" eyes) and swelling is often a result of irritated or inflamed blood vessels near the surface of the eye. Redness or swelling of the eye can be caused by a variety of things, such as: wearing contact lenses too long, lengthy screen-time without a break, allergies, blepharitis (inflamed eyelid), conjunctivitis (pink eye), dry eye syndrome, eye injury, or even glaucoma.
3. Eye pain
Eye pain can mean something different for every person and it can be classified in two ways: ocular pain or orbital pain. Ocular pain occurs on the surface of the eye and can present as burning, itching, or the sensation of having a scratch on the eye. Orbital pain occurs within the eye and can present as aching, stabbing sensation, or throbbing in your eye socket.
4. Dry eyes
While dry eyes are sometimes simply a symptom of lack of environmental humidity or computer use, it can also be caused by certain medications or systemic diseases like Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren's disease. Dry eye is very common - and treatable.
5. It's been more than 12 months since your last visit to the eye doctor
The fact is, not all eye problems present symptoms – especially early on in the disease when it’s most treatable. The best way to keep eyes healthy and vision strong, is to keep up with regular comprehensive exams which can detect and diagnose eye conditions before they become a problem.
If you identify with one or more of the above signs, it may be time to schedule an appointment!