Regularly scheduled routine eye examinations are a key component to maintaining good whole-body health. Early detection and treatment can be critical to the successful management of many conditions both chronic and acute. When acute eye problems occur, it is important to get proper evaluation and care. We want to prevent significant vision complications and investigate any association with serious systemic conditions.
I’ll commonly hear from my patients the phrase “I wasn’t sure if I should come in”. As a rule, a phone call to the office is always a good idea, regardless of the symptoms. This allows us to gather some more specific information such as onset, severity and duration of the symptoms to help better determine how quickly you need to be seen and by whom. There are certain eye symptoms that require urgent and sometimes emergent care. It’s also important to note that many of these symptoms arise concurrently as they are markers of inflammation.
- Pain – we often use a pain scale to determine how painful the eyes feel, ranging from 0(none) to 10(worst); If one or both eyes/eyelids or surrounding tissues abruptly become painful, this would be a good indicator to seek care. The symptom of pain can be challenging however, as pain tolerance in individuals can vary from person to person.
- Redness – will commonly, but not always be associated with some level of pain/discomfort. Any sudden onset of redness, either in one or both eyes, requires prompt attention.
- Foreign Body Sensation – this is the symptom of “feeling like something is in your eye”. In many cases, it feels like this because there may be a foreign body in the eye, but this symptom can also arise due to irritation to the front surface of the eye.
- Flashes and/or floaters – either of these symptoms, arising individually or combined require urgent evaluation. There are many eye conditions that can cause the development of flashes or floaters in the eyes, potentially ranging from harmless to very serious and should be evaluated urgently.
- Blurred or double vision – acute blurred/decreased vision or seeing two images at any point should be examined in an urgent fashion.
- Vision Loss – this would be different than blurred vision. A symptom of complete or partial vision loss, either transiently or permanently, should be evaluated immediately.
- Difference in pupil size – pupils can be unequal in size from birth, which is typically a benign or physiological finding. However, a sudden change causing the pupils to be unequal in size could be an indicator of something more serious.
If any of these eye symptoms arise, it is always advisable to contact a Doctor of Optometry. When you’re in doubt, have it checked out.
