With the advent of Covid-19, social distancing, stay in place orders and everything else going on in our lives right now, it is a crazy time. With the obvious general reluctance to go out in public during the coronavirus pandemic, we are asked a lot these days from patients “what eye symptoms can be safely ignored, and which require immediate medical attention”? This is an excellent question!
9 eye issues to never ignore that need immediate professional attention
1. When there’s a lot of eye pain, don’t ignore it
Rule #1 is simple, If you’re experiencing severe eye pain, don’t ignore it.
The fact is that many causes of eye pain just won’t disappear without treatment, so putting off seeking medical care might just prolong your discomfort. And, in some cases, worsen your problem.
2. You have eye pain accompanied by a pink or red eye
If your eye takes on a pink tinge or appears bloodshot, it may be that you have a foreign body in your eye. If you can see a particle embedded in your eye, you need immediate medical attention and shouldn’t try to dislodge it on your own because you can further injure your eye. If you think the object isn’t embedded, you can try flushing your eye with clean water. But if the pain and redness persist, you need to see your eye doctor.
A common cause of pain and redness is conjunctivitis (also known as pink eye). This condition is the inflammation of your conjunctiva (the clear membrane over the whites of your eyes and lining your eyelids). It can be caused by allergies, viruses, bacteria, or exposure to irritants like chlorine.
And, often, you’ll feel like there’s something in your eye even when there isn’t, or you’ll have sensitivity to light or non-stop tearing or discharge.
You will need to see an ophthalmologist to identify the cause of your conjunctivitis and provide the appropriate treatment.
3. New floaters, especially with flashes of light
New floaters, especially with flashes of light may be a sign of a problem such as a retinal tear or a retinal detachment.
Thankfully most floaters are harmless and are not a threat to your vision. But if you notice a difference in the quality and quantity of floaters, flashes or light, and/or a sudden change to your vision, that can mean a serious retinal problem may be occurring. You need to immediately come in and get a dilated eye exam.
4. Ocular herpes
Another serious condition that can present with a painful eye, blurred vision, light sensitivity, redness around the eye and a blistering rash that can involve the eyelid, forehead and tip of the nose is shingles (known as ocular herpes or herpes zoster ophthalmicus).
This requires immediate attention because it can result in scarring, vision loss and other long term problems.
5. You woke up to a painful red eye with crusty eyelashes
Pink eye strikes again! Conjunctivitis can cause a related condition, known as blepharitis, which is the inflammation of glands in your eyelid that can not only cause redness, but also lead to goopy discharge, red, swollen eyelids and a burning sensation in your eye.
Blepharitis can also be caused by a bacterial infection on your eyelids, from an allergic reaction to makeup or from clogging of the oil glands in your eyelids responsible for keeping your tear film from evaporating too quickly.
If you suspect you might have blepharitis, you can soothe your eyes and loosen the crust by holding a warm compress loosely over your eye, but if you’re experiencing a lot of pain and discharge, home remedies aren’t appropriate and you need to see your eye doctor to get medicated eye drops for pain and inflammation.
Another culprit causing redness, pain, excessive tearing, and discharge, plus noticeable swelling at the inside corner of your eye is a blocked tear duct. This can be caused by an infection, an injury or just by the normal narrowing of your tear duct that occurs with aging.
You will need to see an eye doctor to assess the best treatment option for you, such as antibiotics if there’s an infection, or massaging of a blocked duct, or even inserting a stent to widen a narrow canal to facilitate proper tear drainage.
6. You feel like a vampire, because the light is killing you
While a number of conditions can cause light sensitivity, if you have significant eye pain with light sensitivity that won’t quit, it may well be that you have a corneal abrasion (a scratch) on the clear outer layer on the surface of the eye. This can be caused by dust, sand, dirt, wood or metal shavings or even abusing your contact lenses.
Although most corneal abrasions typically heal in a day or two, if your symptoms persist or are particularly bad, you need to be seen right away. That’s because a corneal abrasion can progress to a corneal ulcer, or hole, in your cornea and that can lead to a serious eye infection and vision loss if left untreated, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
7. You splashed your eye with a chemical
Whether you splash your eyes with household cleaners, a mascara wand poke or a harsh chemical at your work site, unless the label indicates otherwise, rinse your eyes out immediately with clear water, cover your eye with a loose gauze patch and get medical attention right away. Exposure to any foreign substance requires immediate professional attention because it can result in scarring and permanent damage.
8. Your eyeballs are burning like crazy
If your eyes feel hot enough to shoot dragon fire, one cause of this can be photokeratitis (also known as ultraviolet keratitis) which is basically corneal damage caused by UV exposure). In other words, a sunburn on your eyes. Ouch!
Photokeratitis symptoms can include not just burning eyeball pain, but also swollen, watery eyes and light sensitivity. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, you can try soothing your eyes with a cold wet washcloth and take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory during the 48 hours that it usually takes for the symptoms to improve. But, because these symptoms can be seen with other eye conditions, it’s best to see your eye doctor to get properly diagnosed and treated.
9. You’re having blurred vision and other freaky symptoms.
Truth is, there’s a wide range of eye conditions that can cause blurred vision, including many of the ones mentioned already.
An important cause of blurred vision is keratitis, or corneal inflammation.Classic keratitis symptoms include a painful red eye with light sensitivity, excessive tearing, sometimes discharge, and the feeling that there’s a foreign object in your eye. Keratitis can result from a number of triggers including eye injuries, corneal abrasions, bacterial, fungal or viral infections, and even parasites (ewww…)
Needless to say, keratitis can’t be ignored because the consequences can be serious. Your doctor will be able to prescribe medicated drops that target the cause of your keratitis.
Many different eye conditions have similar symptoms
Because the symptoms of so many eye problems overlap, it takes an eye-care professional performing a detailed eye exam to sort through the causes of eye pain, identify the culprit and provide a timely and accurate intervention for your painful eye.
And when it comes to certain vision conditions, the truth is that attempting to care for them at home can cause more harm than good. Bottom line, since most of us are unable to diagnose ourselves, if you experience any of the above symptoms, a trip to your eye doctor is your best bet.
Why Choose Assil Gaur Eye Institute for your eye care?
The doctors at Assil Gaur Eye Institute offer world-class eye care and vision correction specializing in LASIK, cataract, cornea, retina, glaucoma treatments, and a lot more. At AGEI, you will experience state-of-the-art medical facilities that bring together revolutionary technologies with the most experienced hands in ophthalmology. Our goal is to help you achieve your personal best vision.
Please call 866-945-2745 or visit us here to make an appointment online if you are experiencing any concerning symptoms to determine the best time to schedule an exam.
Dr. Harris continued her education at Pennsylvania College of Optometry where she received another bachelor’s degree in vision sciences and then a doctorate of Optometry. While at the college, she served as an ambassador to the school and a tutor for her fellow professional colleagues. Her clinical and classroom work yielded academic achievement awards and bid her membership in the Beta Sigma Kappa Honor Society.
She completed clinical rotations during her fourth year at a few private practices in addition to the William Feinbloom Low Vision Rehabilitation Center and Hahneman Hospital in Philadelphia.
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