When To See An Eye Doctor Immediately?

Your eyes are a critical aspect of overall health and quality of life. Most people rely on their eyes to perform numerous activities and make sense of the world. However, certain factors can cause eye problems and disorders like glaucoma and cataracts, affecting your vision.

Identifying the issues or signs that jeopardize your eye health and vision can help you know when to seek prompt treatment to prevent future complications. This article explores the signs and symptoms that should prompt you to visit your eye doctor immediately.

• Severe eye pain and discomfort

Pain or discomfort at any part of the body often indicates a problem. Eye pain or discomfort can happen due to glaucoma, severe eye strain, infections, injuries, dry eye syndrome, and corneal abrasion.

While mild eye pain or discomfort can settle on its own, you should see an eye doctor urgently if you experience severe or persistent pain and redness in the eyes. The doctor will alleviate your discomfort and treat the underlying causes to restore your eye health and vision.

• Sudden changes in vision

Seek immediate eye care in Scarborough if you experience sudden vision changes. In some cases, sudden vision changes indicate serious eye or health problems like a detached retina, acute angle-closure glaucoma, severe high blood pressure, stroke, and brain hemorrhage. Sudden vision changes can accompany double vision, loss of vision, and blurriness.

• Eye injuries

Visit your eye doctor immediately if you’ve sustained significant eye injuries like a scratch or wound. Common symptoms of serious eye Injuries that should prompt you to seek emergency care include severe pain, bleeding, swelling, double vision, and sudden loss of vision. Common causes of eye injuries include chemical exposure, cuts, and foreign objects in the eyes.

• Headaches

While numerous factors can cause headaches, you should visit your eye doctor immediately if your experience persistent headaches, particularly if accompanied by vision changes. Sometimes headaches can indicate minor issues like eye strains to serious issues like optic neuritis.

• Flashes and floaters

Flashes or floaters can refer to specks that appear in the field of vision. While they’re usually harmless, sometimes they can indicate a serious eye condition like retinal detachment, which can lead to permanent vision loss. To be on the safe side, see your eye doctor immediately.

• Eye infections

Visit your doctor immediately if you have eye infections. Like other infections, untreated eye infections can cause serious damage like permanent vision loss and damage to surrounding tissues. Eye infections can cause mild to severe symptoms like redness, irritation, discomfort, discharge, and itching.

• Foreign objects in the eyes

You should see an eye doctor immediately if foreign objects like dirt, grit, chemical, or metal get stuck in your eyes. Emergency care is critical if the object causes symptoms like pain, bleeding, double vision, or swelling in the eye.  Wearing eye protective gear like safety glasses, goggles, and face shields can help protect your eyes from foreign materials, reducing your risk of injuries.

• Double or blurred vision

Double or blurred vision can indicate eye problems like eye strain, dry eyes syndrome, computer eye syndrome, cataracts, ill-fitting glasses or contact lenses, and iris abnormalities. Seeing the doctor can help determine the root cause of your condition and correct your vision.

• Severe light sensitivity

Visit your doctor if you experience severe sensitivity or discomfort to bright areas or lights. Severe light sensitivity can indicate various eye conditions like cataracts, uveitis, and corneal abrasions. Prompt eye care is essential to determine your condition’s cause and effective solutions.

• Changes in eye appearance

Sudden changes in your eyes’ color, size, or shape should prompt you to visit a nearby eye doctor. Changes in appearance, like redness and swelling, can indicate serious conditions like eye tumors and underlying health conditions. Urgent care is essential to determine the cause and get treatment to restore the normal appearance of your eyes.

Visit our Emergency Eye Clinic in Scarborough

Have you noticed any changes in your eyesight? Contact Dr. Allyson Tang, Optometrist – Scarborough, for prompt and reliable eye care near you.