Vision changes or eye pain are always reasons to schedule an appointment at Vista Eye Specialists. The symptoms you’re experiencing could be a warning sign that you’ve developed an eye disease, infection or had an injury.
You have an increased risk of developing serious eye conditions if you are over 40, have diabetes, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure or are a smoker. A family history of eye disease also increases your likelihood, which is why it’s essential to see an ophthalmologist to investigate these symptoms and any concerns with your vision or ocular health.
Eye Floaters
Migrating specks or cobwebs in your field of vision may be a sign of retinal disease. Retinal detachment, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration and other eye conditions. You may also experience blurred or distorted vision where straight lines appear wavy and have issues with your side vision. Light flashes are another warning sign that you need to seek treatment with an eye doctor right away.
Cloudy Vision
Hazy eyesight is typically a symptom of cataracts, which affect many people by their mid-70s. Blurry vision or double vision is another sign of this eye disease that causes the lens inside your eye to turn opaque due to clumps of protein that eventually cause blindness. Eye inflammation, trauma and diabetes increase your risk of developing cataracts.
Blurry, Missing Sections of Vision
Macular degeneration occurs when the center of the retina (macula) is damaged, causing distorted vision. This eye disease is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss in adults over 60. You’re more likely to develop macular degeneration if you have a family history of the condition, are a smoker or have high blood pressure.
Some people only notice the warning signs of macular degeneration by doing the “face test,” which involves closing one eye and looking at your face in the mirror to identify blurry or missing sections in your visual field. Another way to spot this disease is by looking at a grid of lines (amsler grid) for wavy, broken or blurry parts.
Other warning signs of eye disease include:
- Frequent vision changes
- Dark areas in your field of vision
- Decreased color vision
- Wavy vision
Not every eye disease presents with obvious symptoms. Glaucoma is the “sneak thief of sight” because you have no indication anything is wrong with your eyes until vision is already lost. What’s more, glaucoma treatments can’t restore lost vision, only prevent or stall the progression of the disease.
Schedule An Eye Exam at Vista Eye Specialists
If you are experiencing any of the warning signs above or other vision changes, contact our experienced eye doctors in Fredericksburg, Virginia or Culpeper, Virginia.
