Doctors Say Recognizing These Symptoms In The Eye Can Save Your Vision

Everyone has redness of the eye from time to time. And while it may only be allergies, possible serious causes of redness could be a corneal scratch, keratitis, or even pink eye.

According to the Mayo Clinic, "Treatments can help ease the discomfort of pink eye. Because pink eye can be contagious, early diagnosis and treatment can help limit its spread."

Of course, having red eyes for one day should not be a cause for alarm. But if they are persistently red or if they are accompanied by pain, swelling, soreness, or extreme itching, it is best to see an eye doctor right away. Treating pink eye, a corneal scratch, or one of the other serious illnesses immediately could be key to maintaining your eye health.

Similar to redness, having watery eyes does not necessarily mean you need to make a trip to the doctor. But if the problem persists, or is accompanied by other symptoms, you should get things checked out.

According to New Zealand's Eye Institute, "Some excessive tear production is natural in cold or windy environments, or if a foreign body gets into the eye. However, excessive and constant watering is not normal, and may occur for a number of reasons."

Those reasons could include eyelash or eyelid problems, tear duct drainage problems, pink eye, scratches on the cornea, or even a corneal ulcer. You know your own body best. So if your watery eyes persist, you should probably make a point to see your eye doctor. At the very least, they will be able to provide you relief from your discomfort and watery eyes.

Eye floaters are actually extremely common among people. These floaters are those little specks or lines that float across your field of vision from time to time. But there are some very dangerous eye conditions that can cause an excess of floaters, and they should should be taken extremely seriously.

According to Healthline, "Call your ophthalmologist or eye care provider immediately if you see eye floaters and they begin occurring more frequently, you also see flashes of light, you lose your peripheral (side) vision, [or] you develop eye pain. Combined with eye floaters, these symptoms may be a sign of more dangerous conditions."

These possible serious conditions include a tear in the retina, a retinal detachment, or even an eye hemorrhage brought on by infection or injury. When these floaters are frequent or occur with those other symptoms, it is important to see your eye doctor right away.

Drooping eyelids are one of the easiest symptoms to spot, and may occur in one or both of the eyelids. There are some very serious causes associated with a droopy lid, so you should absolutely see a doctor.

According to the New York Times, "Drooping eyelids may be due to a variety of conditions including aging, diabetes, stroke, Horner syndrome, myasthenia gravis, or a brain tumor or other cancer that affects nerve or muscle reactions."

There are several causes of drooping such as aging or allergies that aren't serious, but it is best to consult your doctor so you can know for sure.

Having a foreign object in your eye is never good, and you should try to address the problem right away. Avoid rubbing the eye and never try to remove something that is embedded. Try flushing out the eye with warm, clean water.

However, there are certain situations when the foreign object will require seeing a doctor.

According to the Mayo Clinic, "Get immediate medical help if you can't remove the object with simple irrigation, the object is embedded in the eye, [you are] experiencing abnormal vision, [or] pain, redness, or the sensation of an object in the eye persists after the object is removed."

Having someone help you with the step of flushing the eye might be best. But always be aware of when it is time to bring yourself to the doctor's office to have them assist you with the foreign object.

Go to the NEXT page for even more vital and surprising eye symptoms.

Many people are affected by styes, which are caused by staphylococcal bacteria. They generally take the form of a pimple-like swelling along the edge of the eyelid. While common, there are some stye situations that require medical attention.

According to WebMD, you should see a doctor if "swelling does not subside within a few weeks, swelling interferes with your vision, you have pain in the eye, [or] you have recurrent styes."

Also, when a stye is very large or doesn't go away, surgery may be a possibility. It is important to consult your doctor if a stye isn't just your regular run-of-the-mill stye.

The occasional allergy-induced dry eye is something that can be treated with a few drops. But one of the concerns with this symptom is the possibility of dry eye syndrome.

According to Healthline, "If you have dry eye syndrome, your eyes do not produce enough tears or you are unable to maintain a normal layer of tears to coat your eyes. As a result, your eyes cannot eliminate dust and other irritants, which can lead to stinging, burning, pain, and/or redness in your eyes."

Dry eye syndrome is treatable through prescription drops, medications, and possible surgery. It is important to see your doctor if your dry eyes are accompanied by problems seeing or large discomfort.

Eye discharge is normal and healthy, and is often known as "sleep in your eyes." The problem with discharge arises if you see a change in the quantity, color, or consistency. These could indicate that you have an eye infection or disease.

According to WebMD, a major symptom of pink eye is "uncomfortable, thick yellow or green discharge."

If you notice that the discharge seems different or strange, see your doctor. The gunk could be a sign of pink eye, a foreign object in the eye, or possibly lyme disease.

A cataract in your eye is very serious as it can cause you to lose vision. A cataract can look like a cloud over the pupil, and restricts the entry of light into the eye, causing vision problems.

According to the CDC, "20.5 million people have cataracts (about 16%) among Americans aged 40 years and older."

Cataracts are a serious problem that affect millions of people. Surgery is definitely an option, but you should seek medical attention as soon as you notice that something may be wrong.

When you notice blood under the surface of the eye, it is normally only occurring in one of the two eyes. There is generally no treatment needed, as the hemorrhage will usually resolve on its own.

However, Healthline writes, "If you have blood in your eye after an injury to your skull, you should contact your doctor immediately. The bleeding may be from the brain, rather than just in the subconjuntiva of your eye."

If your bleeding was accompanied by a head injury, definitely see your doctor. If not from head trauma, the blood should dissipate before too long.

Being aware of the condition of your eyes is crucial to the longterm health of your eyes and to your vision.

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