Making periodic visits to your optometrist is very important, as your eye health should be taken seriously. Even if you do not experience any of these symptoms, you should still schedule an eye appointment at least every one to two years.
Headaches
While there are many factors that can cause a headache or migraines, such as stress or tense muscles, your vision can also be the cause. Headaches can be an indicator that your vision is changing. Straining your eyes to focus on an object or see far away over a period of time causes your eye muscles to work overtime, which then results in a headache.
Farsightedness that goes uncorrected can create frontal headaches or what you call brow aches, due to you compensating for your farsightedness by subconsciously focusing harder. This is the same for those who suffer from Presbyopia.
However, there are more serious eye conditions that give headaches as a symptom. Some of these conditions are dangerous to leave untreated. For example, Giant Cell Arteritis causes throbbing at the temples. GCA is considered a medical emergency. Therefore, make sure to take painful headaches seriously.
Blurry Vision
If you start to notice a sudden difficulty focusing on certain objects, this is a major sign of an eye condition, as most eye conditions have blurry vision as one of their first indicators that there is a problem. It may be difficult focusing on small text or objects on a screen or maybe inconsistent vision where some objects are blurry and others are not.
Even if this problem does not occur often, it is still important to go in and see an optometrist because it may be a symptom of a serious eye condition. It is best to just go in and rule out any possibilities that are a threat to your health.
Squinting
Do you find yourself squinting in order to see better? Although this may temporarily help you see, in the end, it will only cause fatigue and eye strain. The best thing to do is go in to see your optometrist and get an eye exam because most likely you are in need of a prescription.
If you are squinting from surface discomfort in your eyes, it could be from a corneal abrasion.
Minor abrasions, which are scratches on the eye’s surface, usually heal on their own. However, it is best to go in and see your eye doctor to be sure of the cause and severity.
Painful or Tired Eyes
Having fatigued eyes isn’t necessarily uncommon, especially if you are lacking sleep, if you stare at screens constantly, or read the text over an extended period of time. Getting a full night’s rest and giving your eyes a break are good fixes to tired eyes, but if you experience recurring discomfort over several days then you should schedule an appointment.
If you experience any pain in your eyes, you should see an optometrist immediately. For example, if shifting your eyes in a certain position causes pain, or if you suffer from aching eyes in general, these are all reasons to make an appointment.
Light Sensitivity
If you are experiencing discomfort from light, this could be a sign of many things. An eye infection, corneal abrasion, or possibly a central nervous system disorder, are all likely culprits for sudden light sensitivity. Going in to see your eye doctor and have them test it will find the cause and help get rid of the discomfort.
Floaters
Floaters are considered visual disruptions and are under the same category with black spots and auras. Floaters move across your eye whenever you shift your eyes, or in other words ‘float’. If you experience visual disruptions, especially suddenly, see an eye doctor immediately. These disruptions are symptoms of serious eye issues such as retinal holes or retinal detachment.