One of the reasons why people go to an ophthalmologist only when things are already bad is the insidiousness of diseases of the visual system. Many problems do not manifest themselves in the initial stages, so patients often do not realise that there is cause for concern. However, there are still symptoms that will indicate that something is wrong.
What are the body’s warning signs you can’t ignore
Teary eyes, blurred vision, and eye discomfort are not always related to a busy schedule. These are the cases when you should definitely have your eyesight checked.
Floating flies and lines in front of the eyes
In some cases, such manifestations are quite understandable and do not require treatment. For example, even in healthy people, flies sometimes appear due to increased physical activity, a sudden change of posture, rising after sitting for a long time at the computer. This condition is explained by a sudden drop in blood pressure, when for a couple of seconds the blood supply to the brain is disrupted.
But if you constantly notice these symptoms when transferring your gaze from object to object or at any change of activity – this is a serious reason to consult a doctor. In ophthalmology, such signals indicate problems with the retina: it may be destructive disorders of the retina, detachment, inflammatory diseases of the vitreous body and others.
Medication, laser or surgical treatment may be required to correct the problem.
Increased tearing, feeling of sand in the eyes
Tearing, sensation of something foreign in the eye, light sensitivity, visual fatigue – every person at least once, but met with one of these symptoms. Of course, the environment in which we find ourselves is also reflected in the state of our eyes: strong winds and bright sun sometimes bring tears to our eyes, and after hours of continuous work at the computer, our eyes hurt.
But if you notice that you react to weather conditions much more actively than many people and often feel discomfort and photophobia, it may indicate the presence of dry eye syndrome (DES). And this problem is more serious than it may first appear.
Without proper treatment, dry eye syndrome often leads to the development of other pathologies: infectious and inflammatory eye diseases, corneal lesions. It is not always treated with moisturising drops alone. In some cases, surgical intervention may be required to reduce the outflow and increase the inflow of lacrimal fluid, as well as to reduce its discharge from the conjunctival sac.
Fog in the field of vision, blurring of objects
Blurred vision, blurred objects, impaired colour perception, halos around light sources, difficulty in fitting glasses and contact lenses – these are more serious symptoms, and they indicate the possible development of the initial stage of cataract. This is a condition in which the lens of the eye begins to lose its function. In most cases, the process is associated with natural age-related changes in the body.
If earlier cataract was considered a disease of 60+, now the disease is diagnosed in middle-aged patients as well. The problem is solved once and for all by lens replacement surgery, thanks to which one can see equally well at all distances.
