Keeping our health in check is important. We should all be monitoring any big changes or unusual symptoms just in case anything needs to be checked out. As it’s National Eye Health Week, it seems like a good time to give our eyes a once over. Our eyes get impacted by the wear and tear of aging, so they’re something we should monitor.
It’s usual to find it hard to focus on objects that are close to you as you get older, and eyelashes may thin out a bit too. But other issues can cause serious problems if not treated properly. For example, age makes it more difficult for the eyes to stay lubricated. This can result in the eyes feeling irritated, sticky, dry, and gritty. The lens of the eye can also become less elastic, and our ability to see at night also suffers, which makes it more difficult to drive in the dark. Then issues such as cataracts, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy can lead to loss of sight.
If you have experienced any of the following signs or symptoms, then you should contact your GP to get your eyes checked. According to Harvard Medical School, these signs may indicate a slightly more serious problem. The sooner you catch any potential problems, the more likely you are to save your vision. Even if an issue is not particularly serious, it’s always important to get checked to ensure it’s not impacting your sight in any way.
Experts say you should call your doctor if you experience the following:
- Change in iris color
- Crossed eyes
- Dark spot in the center of your field of vision
- Difficulty focusing on near or distant objects
- Double vision
- Dry eyes with itching or burning
- Episodes of cloudy vision
- Excess discharge or tearing
- Eye pain
- Floaters or flashers
- Growing bump on the eyelid
- Halos (colored circles around lights) or glare
- Hazy or blurred vision
- Inability to close an eyelid
- Loss of peripheral vision
- Redness around the eye
- Spots in your field of vision
- Sudden loss of vision
- Trouble adjusting to dark rooms
- Unusual sensitivity to light or glare
- Veil obstructing vision
- Wavy or crooked appearance to straight lines
Remember, it’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your vision.
Sources:
– Harvard Medical School
