Whenever it comes to any kind of physical symptoms that you may experience, it can sometimes be difficult to know which symptoms are serious and which ones are temporary and may go away. For many people, it can be confusing about what warrants a trip to the emergency room, an urgent care facility, or a call into the doctor’s office for an appointment.
The eyes, in particular, are an area where you might not be sure if you are experiencing symptoms of something to be concerned about and should seek medical care. However, since your eyes and vision are a vital part of your life and livelihood, it is certainly not something that you want to take a chance on. For a list of eye care services, including LASIK in Orange County, allow Advanced Eye Medical to be your professional eye experts!
Below are the 7 eye symptoms that you should never ignore.
Pain or Bleeding
The bottom line is that your eyes should never hurt, so any kind of pain or noticeably bleeding in or from the eyes should be taken seriously. Pain in the eye can be caused from a number of factors, some known and some not. If you are around particularly dangerous conditions for your eyes, such as fireworks or chemicals, and you experience eye pain or bleeding, you should seek out medical help immediately. Bleeding in and around the eyes can be indication of other traumas, such as bleeding from the brain.
Flashes
Many people experience what are known as “floaters”, which are small specs of light that come into your field of vision. However, if you are experiencing these along with flashes of light (described typically as lightening streaks), this requires a trip to the eye doctor to make sure that it’s not something more serious going on. These can potentially be signs of retinal detachment, which can cause blindness if left ignored.
Foreign Object
If you can detect that you have a foreign object embedded in your eye, it may be tempting to try to use your fingers to rub your eyes and try to remove it. Unfortunately, that’s how most people end up causing more damage by either scratching the eye or even embedding the foreign object further. You can try flushing the eye with clean, warm water. If that doesn’t work and you can still sense that you have something stuck in your eye, seek medical assistance immediately.
Double Vision
Like eye pain, double vision is never a symptom to ignore. If you are experiencing double vision in just one eye, it can be an indication of a problem with the cornea. Double vision in both eyes can be caused to a neurological condition that is preventing your eyes from functioning properly. If the double vision is coupled with other symptoms, such as slurred speech, pain or weakness, don’t wait for an eye doctor. Immediately head to the nearest emergency room for evaluation.
Moles
Moles, wherever they may be found, should never be ignored. If you see a mole develop and it changes in size, shape or pigmentation, you should see a doctor to check and see if it may be a sign of eye melanoma–a form of skin cancer of the eye. Sunlight and its harmful UV rays can also damage the surface of your eyes, similar to how they can affect the skin.
Overly Dry Eyes
It is not uncommon to experience dry eyes, especially if you wear contact lenses. However, if you notice that your eyes are overly red or teary and don’t see these symptoms go away, it can be a sign of keratitis, which is an infection of the cornea. This tends to be more common for individuals who wear contact lenses, having a lot to do with the proper care and use of contact lenses.
Unequal Pupil Size
Last, but not least, if you notice that your pupils—the black dot in the center of your eyes—are unequal in size, you should seek medical help to make sure that there’s nothing more serious going on. Changes in pupil size have been linked to other health problem, including an aneurysm, stroke, or some other neurological issue.
Professional Eye Care & LASIK in Orange County
If you are located in the greater part of Orange County and are experiencing any of the above eye symptoms and need medical help, contact the medical professionals at Advanced Eye Medical today at 1-866-997-2020 or online. Whether it is an eye test or LASIK in Orange County, we can help review your symptoms and determine the necessary cause and treatments so that you can be healthy and get on with your life!