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Eye symptoms and vision problems

 Eye symptoms and signs
 Vision changes
 Nearsighted or farsighted?
 Lazy eye
 Crossed eyes
 Blindness

Eye symptoms and signs

Eye symptoms can be signs of infection, irritation, or injury that has occurred directly to the eye
or surrounding tissue. In other cases, the condition of your eyes can reveal an underlying health
problem. Here's some insight on what may be the problem if you're experiencing any of the
following:

 My eyes burn.
 My eyes itch.
 My eyes are red.
 My eyes are dry.
 My eyes are watery.
 My eye hurts.
 There is blood in my eye.
 My eyes have discharge and/or my eyelids or eyelashes are crusty.
 My eyelid is twitching.
 My eyelid is drooping.
 My eyes are bulging.
 There is a bump, spot, or growth on my eye.
 My pupils look different.
 My eyes are different colours or have changed colour.
 My eyes are sensitive to light.

NOTE: If you experience any new or troubling eye symptoms, visit your doctor or
ophthalmologist to rule out any potentially serious problems.

Before reading on, check the EMERGENCY EYE SYMPTOMS chart to determine whether you
need to seek immediate medical attention for your eye symptoms.

EMERGENCY EYE SYMPTOMS

Call 9-1-1 if:

 you have temporary or continued partial or complete blindness in one or both of your
eyes
 you experience temporary or continued double vision
 your vision is suddenly impaired by blind spots, halos around lights, or other areas of
distortion
 it feels like a shade is being pulled down or a curtain pulled across your vision
 you experience eye pain, especially if your eye is also red
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Seek medical attention if you experience the following symptoms of vision change:

 gradual loss of vision sharpness

 blurred vision when viewing objects near to you or far from you
 difficulty seeing objects to your side
 difficulty seeing at night or when reading
 difficulty telling colours apart
 eye discharge or itching
 vision changes that seem to be associated with a medication you take (Note: don't stop
taking the medication before talking to your doctor)

You should also see your health care provider if you have a diabetes, a family history of
diabetes, or a history of any eye disorder.

Eye symptoms: Burning eyes

"My eyes burn." 

You may have experienced a "burning" sensation when you have accidentally gotten soap or
shampoo in your eyes. Often, burning eyes are due to some type of irritant - be it a cosmetic or
skin care, chlorine from a swimming pool, or environmental irritants like cigarette smoke or
smog. Seasonal allergies or allergies to dust or pet dander may also cause eyes to burn or itch,
as can infections like conjunctivitis (pink eye). Dry eyes can also cause a burning sensation.

Eye symptoms: Itchy eyes

"My eyes itch." 

Itchy eyes could be due to eye allergies (allergic conjunctivitis), which are usually temporary and
accompanied by other allergy symptoms, like stuffy nose and sneezing. The things that
commonly cause eye allergies are similar to those that cause nasal allergies - pet dander, dust,
pollen. Allergic reactions to other irritants, like perfume or cosmetics, can cause similar
symptoms.

Itchiness may also be a result of inflammation of the eyelids (blepharitis) or of the lining of the
inner eyelid (conjunctivitis or pinkeye).

Eye symptoms: Red eyes

"My eyes are red." 

Like itching and burning, red or bloodshot eyes can be triggered by infections.Conjunctivitis is
the inflammation of the lining of the eyelids and eye surface that can be caused by infection or
allergies. Blepharitis is caused by bacteria on the skin and causes inflammation of the eyelash
follicles along the eyelid and eye redness. Eye redness can also occur when other parts of the
eye become inflamed, as in episcleritisor uveitis, or infected, as in corneal ulcers.

Injuries can also make your eyes red. Dust and sand can get into the eyes and cause small
abrasions that lead to redness. Occasionally when a person strains or coughs too hard, a small
bleeding spot called a subconjunctival hemorrhage can form on the eye.
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Eye symptoms: Dry eyes

"My eyes are dry." 

Your eyes become naturally drier as you get older, but dry air and sun exposure can sap the
lubrication from your eyes at any age. Dry eyes may get worse if you smoke or if you are around
second-hand smoke. Cold and allergy medications also commonly cause dry eyes. Prolonged
dryness can lead to abrasions on the surface of the eyes.

Eye symptoms: Watery eyes

"My eyes are watery." 

Watering up is a way the eyes defend themselves against infection and irritation. The viruses
and bacteria that lead to conjunctivitis or blepharitis, for example, commonly trigger eye
watering. So do allergic reactions to dust, mould, or animal dander. And if something gets into
the eye - like sand, wind, or smog - the eyes water to force the foreign item out.

Likewise, watering and teariness happen when part of the eye, like the cornea, is scratched or
cut. The eyes will also tear up in response to a blockage in or around the eye, like in the case of
blocked tear duct or a stye, which is a red, sore lump (looks like a pimple) near the eyelid edge
formed by an infected eyelash follicle. Eyes may tear up during strain of overuse or when
laughing, yawning, or vomiting.

Eyes that water excessively can accompany a condition called Bell's palsy, a temporary form of
paralysis or weakness that affects the muscles of the face.

Ironically, one of the most common causes of watery eyes is dry eyes. Dry eyes trigger the body
to produce excess tears to lubricate the eyes.

Eye symptoms: Eye pain

"My eye hurts." 

Eye pain can be caused by a number of factors and can feel like a dull aching or throbbing, or it
can feel sharp and stabbing. Sharp pain may indicate a problem with the cornea (such as an
infection or ulcer), while severe, deep, aching pain could be a sign of glaucoma. Pain frequently
accompanies conjunctivitis (pinkeye), and a stye can be uncomfortable to the point of pain as
well. If you have been overusing your eyes, you may experience eyestrain. And the pain from
migraines or sinus problems sometimes affects the area around the eye.

Eye symptoms: Blood in eye

"There is blood in my eye." 

Bleeding in the eye can happen along with a black eye or other injury to the eye, like cuts to the
cornea.

If you see blood pooling in the white part of your eye, this might indicate asubconjunctival
hemorrhage, also called red eye, which is a broken blood vessel. This small hemorrhage can
occur after an injury or be caused by the sudden pressure created by violent sneezing or
coughing. People with high blood pressure or who take blood thinners may be more prone to
subconjunctival hemorrhages. Subconjunctival hemorrhages are common, almost always
harmless, and usually goes away on their own in about 7 days.
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Blood that pools in front part of the eye, including the pupil or the iris - the coloured portion of
the eye - is called hyphema. Hyphema most commonly forms after trauma, but can also be
indicative of a blood vessel abnormality, eye infections caused by herpes virus, inflammation of
the iris, or possibly cancer in the eye.

Eye symptoms: Eye discharge, crusty eyelids and eyelashes

"My eyes have discharge and/or my eyelids or eyelashes are crusty."

Crusting on the eyelids and eyelashes can occur when infected discharge from the eyes clumps
and hardens. Discharge and crusting may be symptoms of the viral and bacterial forms of
conjunctivitis (pinkeye). Eye discharge may also be a symptom of the different forms of
eye keratitis (bacterial, fungal, and herpes keratitis) or inflammation of the cornea.

In the condition blepharitis, oil glands on the eyelids become clogged, swollen, and crust over.
Similarly, a blockage of the tear duct can also trigger discharge and crusting around the eyelids.

Eye symptoms: Twitching eyelid

"My eyelid is twitching." 

A band of ocular muscles move your eyelids so they can open and shut. Sometimes, these
muscles twitch, usually only for a few seconds or a few minutes at a time. Eyelid twitches are
generally harmless and seem to be caused by stress, caffeine, and fatigue. Contact your eye
doctor if the fluttery lid persists, causes your eyelid to stay closed, involves other parts of your
face, or is accompanied by redness, swelling, or discharge.

Eye symptoms: Drooping eyelid

"My eyelid is drooping."

Ptosis is the word for this eye symptom. Drooping eyelids may be present at birth, and can
cause problems with vision. Ptosis that develops as an adult may be due to an underlying
neurological or muscular disease, or tumour. If ptosis occurs along with facial numbness and
drooping of other parts of the face, the cause could be Bell's palsy, a temporary form of
paralysis or weakness that affects the muscles of the face. Drooping eyelid could also be a sign
of a stroke, tumour, or spinal cord injury.

Eye symptoms: Bulging eyes

"My eyes seem to be bulging."

If you can see visible white between the top of the coloured part of your eye and your upper
eyelid, you may have some degree of eye bulging. The most common cause of bulging eyes is
overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism, especially a form called Graves' disease. Tumours,
infection, and vascular disorders are among other potential causes of protruding eyes.

Is it not the whole eye but only the clear, front part of the eye that bulges? An uncommon
condition called keratoconus could be the cause. In keratoconus, the cornea thins and is
shaped like a cone. Keratoconus tends to affect both eyes and may blur or distort vision.
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Eye symptoms: Bump, spot, or growth on eye

"There is a bump, spot, or growth on my eye. "

Bumps on the eyelid are usually one of two things - a stye, an infected eyelash follicle, or
a chalazion, an oil-clogged gland. Both form red bumps, but chalazia are often larger and
develop farther from the edge of the eyelid.

A brown spot on the eye may indicate a nevus, a harmless pigmentation that is much like a
mole or freckle on the eye. A dark spot that is accompanied by blurred or reduced vision, a
sensation of flashing lights, or a change in the size of the pupil may be a sign of ocular
melanoma, a rare eye cancer.

A yellow patch on the eye could be a pinguecula, a kind of callus on the eye that is usually on
the conjunctiva near the cornea. If a yellow patch is in the shape of a triangle, it could be
a pterygium, which is fleshy tissue on the white of the eye. If it grows large enough, a pterygium
could impair vision by covering the cornea. Both pinguecula and pterygium seem to happen
more among people who spend a lot of time outdoors in the sun or in windblown places.

Eye symptoms: Pupil changes

"My pupils (black center part of eye) look different."

Noticing that the pupil of one eye is larger than the other can be alarming. It is best to seek
medical attention to have uneven pupils examined. In some instances, the difference in size is
small and temporary, and may be nothing to worry about. Eyedrops may also cause a harmless
discrepancy between pupils' size. But if the difference in size is more than 1 millimetre and the
pupils do not return to equal size, this may be a sign of an underlying neurological or circulatory
problem and should be examined as soon as possible.

A pupil that appears white instead of black should also be examined as soon as possible. An
ophthalmologist or doctor will need to determine whether the white pupil is caused by a cataract,
a cloudy cornea, or something else.

A defect of the iris (the coloured portion of the eye) called coloboma can appear as a black spot
or hole near the pupil. Coloboma may also look like a black notch extending into the iris from the
pupil, earning it the nickname "cat eye."

Eye symptoms: Colour changes

"My eyes are different colours or have changed colour." 

Talk to your doctor if you notice a new change in your eye colour. If one eye is different in colour
from the other, this is called heterochromia. It is often hereditary or brought on by disease or
injury.

If both eyes appear to be lightening in colour to a light blue or gray, it may be a natural part of
aging, as the iris loses pigmentation and fades in colour.

Another aging change to the eyes' colour is called arcus corneus or arcus senilis. This is a
grayish-white ring that forms around the cornea and is caused by fat deposits. If this grayish-
white ring forms around the cornea of a younger person, it could be a sign of high cholesterol or
triglycerides.
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Eye symptoms: Light sensitivity

"My eyes are sensitive to light." 

Photophobia - or light sensitivity - may be caused by something as simple as wearing
your contact lenses too long or wearing lenses that are poorly fitted to your eye. Give your
eyes a rest from contact lens wear and let your eye doctor know if you experience light
sensitivity or other problems when wearing your lenses.

Photophobia is a common symptom of migraine headaches. Migraines may also be triggered

by glares, certain levels of light, or patterns of light. Precision-tinted lenses may be a therapeutic
option for those who deal with chronic migraines, photophobia, or light-triggered migraines.

 An injury to the eye - like ulcers, burns, or cuts and scrapes on the cornea - may cause light
sensitivity. So can eye disorders that cause inflammation or infection(examples: conjunctivitis
or pinkeye, uveitis, iritis, keratitis).

Photophobia may be a side effect of medication. Mydriatics, the drugs used by eye doctors to
dilate your pupils during an eye exam, cause almost immediate light sensitivity that goes away
after a few hours. If you experience photophobia or light sensitivity, ask your pharmacist if one
of your medications could be to blame.

See a doctor if your sensitivity to light is severe, if it lasts longer than a day or two, or if it occurs
along with headache, red eye, or blurry vision. Be sure to let your doctor know about all of your
eye symptoms, including any pain, wounds or sores, redness, or itching. Also inform your doctor
of other seemingly unrelated symptoms - nausea, neck stiffness, dizziness, numbness or
tingling in any part of your body, or changes in your hearing. And disclose any drugs or
medications you may be taking.

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