Five Eye Symptoms You Should Be Concerned About

Of all of the various parts of the human body that you need to keep a close eye on, the human eye should be at the top of that list. It is difficult to think of any single part of your body that is more important than your vision and the eye does a great job of letting us know that a possible problem is occurring. It is up to us, however, to heed that warning and take proper action. Here are five of the most common eye symptoms and possible explanations of what the underlying cause could be.

Eye Pain

The most obvious sign that something is wrong with the eye is the presence of pain. Pain in the eye is different than pain in the rest of the body in the sense that it often comes with an itching component that becomes more painful if you try to rub or massage the itching sensation away. Pain in the eye can be caused by a whole host of conditions, such as blepharitis, which is inflammation of the eyelid often caused by an allergic reaction. There can be some oozing, itching, pain and redness also associated with this condition. Pain is also associated with conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye. This condition can also be caused by an allergy, but is most frequently caused by an infection. It is highly contagious and medical attention should be sought immediately. In some cases, the cause of eye pain is very straight forward. If you have a foreign body embedded in the eye, even if it is extremely tiny, pain can occur. A doctor should be able to diagnose this easily.

Blurred Vision

Although drinking too much alcohol has become synonymous with blurred vision or double vision, there are a whole host of conditions that can cause a similar sensation. Accommodation disorder is a condition that many get in old age that prevents the eye from focusing as quickly as it should. The presence of astigmatism can also cause blurred vision. Astigmatism is caused by a misshaped cornea that doesn’t process incoming light properly. Thankfully, this condition is often treated successfully by prescription eyeglasses. Cataracts are another condition that many associate with old age, but can happen to younger people who spend years smoking or taking steroids. The blurred vision is caused by a dramatic increase in the cloudiness of the eye’s natural lens. Computer vision syndrome is a fairly new eye condition caused by prolonged computer use over long periods of time. A fungal infection in the eye can also lead to blurred vision. This infection is often found mainly in contact lens wearers who don’t clean their lenses enough or those that end up using a tainted batch of cleaning fluid.

Eye Discharge

Discharge can be caused by many different conditions, all of which need to be taken seriously. The most common cause of discharge in the eye is pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis. This condition needs to be diagnosed and treated by a medical doctor right away. Drops are often used to kill off the infection, but until then, it is a very contagious and uncomfortable infection to have. Severe contact lens problems can lead to discharge, but things have to get pretty bad for something like that to happen. Your lens would have to be badly contaminated, torn or very old for such a thing to happen. A foreign body in your eye can cause discharge if it isn’t treated and removed right away. The discharge would often be associated with an infection that has set in around the foreign body. Finally, overflow tearing is a condition found mostly in young children and in the elderly that can cause discharge due to a blocked tear duct.

Eye Redness or Pinkness

Waking up with red, puffy eyes is something we have all experienced at one time or another. In many cases, this condition is caused by something obvious such as too much alcohol consumption the night before or by not getting enough sleep, however, there are many other conditions that also present with red or pink eyes. The most obvious is conjunctivitis, although you would be hard pressed to confuse pink eye with general red, puffy eyes. Pink eye will also have discharge, pain, and a sticky, almost gooey feeling on the eye, as well. Allergies are a common cause of eye redness that some over the counter medications will be able to take care of. A corneal abrasion is a small cut or scrape on the cornea. It gives the eye the feeling that something is in it at all times. You will also notice excessive tearing, stinging pain and general discomfort. Finally, glaucoma can also lead to puffy, red eyes and discomfort. This condition is caused by an increase in pressure inside the eye.

Vision Loss

The most dramatic eye symptom of all is a complete lack of function from the eye. This symptom is often greeted with outright panic from the person who is experiencing it for the first time, and for good reason. It can be terrifying to suddenly lose the ability to see after having it for so many years. One of the most underrated symptoms of lead poisoning is a loss of vision. It is difficult to diagnose since most doctors don’t look at it as a common reason for vision loss. A retinal detachment can lead to a complete loss of vision in the eye. If you have been in an accident and you are suffering from retinal detachment, seek medical help immediately. A stroke is another common way in which people end up losing vision in the eye. Since some strokes can be extremely mild and only cause a handful of observable symptoms, a loss of vision may be your only significant symptom that a stroke has occurred. No matter what the cause, a loss of vision is an extremely serious medical condition that deserves attention right away.

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