Common Eye Symptoms

5 common eye symptoms.

1. Blurred Vision

Blurred vision is the inability to clearly see objects.They are multiple causes and generally should be seen by eye care professional and make sure that it is not due to serious causes like glaucoma, macular or retinal problems etc. Refractive error is common cause in young patients but in older patients it may be due to cataracts

2. Floaters and Flashing lights

The dark, distinct spots you sometimes see in your field of vision are called floaters. Floaters occur when small clumps of the vitreous (a jelly-like fluid) inside the eye detach from the inner wall of the eye as we age, otherwise known as posterior vitreous detachment. This is a common benign degeneration that occurs when our vitreous jelly starts to dissolve and liquefy with age, resulting in a watery centre and clumps of undissolved gel floating in the centre of the eye, hence we see a clump of ‘floater’ in the vision. Seeing floaters are common and mostly benign, but it can be an indication of a more serious problem like diabetic retinopathy which causes blood vessels in the retina to weaken and burst. Floaters can also be caused by retina tear and retinal detachment, a serious condition when the retina of the eye breaks and detaches from the rest of the layers of the eye. If you see a sudden onset of floaters, especially accompanied with flashing lights or blurring of vision, please consult your eye doctor for early diagnosis and treatment. A dilated eye examination is strongly advised and retinal problems need to be excluded.

3. Red eyes and no significant pain

It is usually due to non-urgent causes like conjunctivitis, pterygium, subconjunctival haemorrhage etc.

4. Red eyes and significant pain

It is usually due to urgent causes like corneal ulcer, acute glaucoma, acute uveitis, post operation infection etc. and treatment is more urgent.

5. Tired eyes 

Tired eyes is when eyes feel achy, weak, or heavy, due to intense or prolonged usage.

Tired eyes can result from some common activities which include prolonged working on the computer, poor lighting conditions, driving for prolonged periods of time, reading for long periods, or any other activity that may require the eyes to maintain intense focus for long periods of time.

Common signs and symptoms of eye strain include:

  • Soreness of the eyes
  • Dry eyes
  • Watery eyes
  • General overall fatigue
  • Feeling of heaviness in eyes