Getting Back to the Basics
For the past several weeks this blog has been all over the map: health policy, adult education, surgical drapes, brain cancer.'Umm, excuse me. Isn't this blog supposed to be about the eyes and visual health?"
Time to get back on topic - for awhile anyway!
Quite a few visitors to our WebMD Vision & Eye Disorders Message Board post inquiries about worrisome symptoms and wonder when is the right time to find an eye doctor.
Sometimes the symptoms sound quite benign: I see little specks when staring at fireworks; should I make an eye appointment?
There are other times when my jaw drops: I lost sight in my left eye three days ago; what should I do?
Since WebMD does not diagnose members' health problems, manage their diseases or make treatment recommendations, it is tempting to respond with authority and indifference, "Go away, you've come to the wrong place for help!" The reality is that the health professionals at WebMD devote so much time online because they like helping people in need by providing reliable information.
So, when should you contact your doctor about an eye problem?
Here's a handy checklist to consult whenever you sense something about your eyes is just not right - whether it involves one or both eyes:
- Sudden change in vision
- Loss of visual field (grey or black curtain)
- Eye pain
- Progressive redness or copious discharge (especially in contact lens wearers)
- Severe or persistent headache
- Accidental eye exposure to toxic substances (chemical splash)
- Any discomfort following surgery that remains after taking the prescribed pain medication
- Eye or orbital trauma - even if the eye looks okay
- Intense light sensitivity
- Swelling or tenderness of the eyelids and periorbital skin
- Sudden, persistent double vision
- Facial shingles (herpes zoster)
- Nonreactive pupil
- New onset droopy eyelid
This list is not all-inclusive, but the above situations warrant prompt referral to an experienced eye doctor. If you are smart you already have an eye doctor you trust. Otherwise, you may need a referral from your primary care provider or seek care at a nearby emergency room that has ophthalmology coverage.
Here's one final precaution. So often I read messages that express hesitancy to bother the eye doctor. Baloney! The doctor went to school and trained all those years in order to become available for bothering. Doctors who are rarely bothered have very few patients - it's how the system works. If it turns out that no dire emergency has occurred you will both breath a huge sigh of relief.
We encourage everyone to continue posting to our message board. Just keep in mind that, sometimes, the best information we can provide is "Stop surfing and go get yourself some help!"
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: vision, eye health
11 Comments:
I have had strokes and have carotid stenosis. Last year told cataract ops might leave me blind. Why is this? This year left decision to me but worried because carotids are linked with eye and brain.Any advice? thanks.
I don't know about carotid stenosis, but right now I have an eye (or I should say the area underneath my eye) is twitching alot. I don't know what it's from or how to stop it. It started with my left eye area, but now it's my right eye area that's twitching.
I have a brother who lives in florada,He developed a certan eye condition where the flow of blood to his right eye has stop due to a clogged bloodvessle.The doctor tells him that he may never see out that eye agian,They want to try a experamental treatment with a injection into the eye,With a side effect or chance of a stroke please can you give me some other hope or advise that i could tell my brother he is very afraid.THANK YOU
My mother has a pterygium in her eye. Several eye surgeons have said that removing it may not improve her vision that much and that the recovery will be difficult. Has anyone had a pterygium removed sucessfully?
I have had trouble for about five or six months with my eyes feeling like my hair is always in them. I went to an eye doctor and he gave me some eye drops to put in them but it didn't help. What could be causing this problem?
Has anyone else experienced problems with vision following electrocardioversion? My vision was pretty good before the procedure, but since ECV (twice) I have a hard time reading and objects are not as clear.
i have had a pterygium removed and it wasn't as bad as i thought i was able to go back to work about 3 days later. i have to have another removed because i have them in both eyes but the one i had removed has not grown back. i had it removed about 3 years ago. I hope this helps
Is the only option for a pterygium to have it surgically removed? There is no medication for it?
I would like to know if there is anybody out there that knows about "pterygium" in the eyes. i do know a little about it, but i have surgery scheduled to remove it and i would like to know how that surgery is done. can anyone help me please? respond to kb2059@gmail.com and help me if you can.
to the person asking about pterygium surgery. i just had it 2 days ago and it isn't hard. they put me out completely and the pterygium was removed. i have to put drops, different kinds into my eye and use a eye wash around the eye, not in it, but that isn't hard either. eventually the eye discomfort and scar tissue will get better and my vision will get better. i'll have new glasses eventually too, my doctor said because they will check my vision and it is expected to improve considerably after my eye heals up. that could take "several months" though according to the material given to me by my eye doctor. i encourage you and know that it is too bad to go through. i wish you the best and i'll pray for you.
to the person that mother had pterygium, i just had one removed and it isn't difficult, just uncomfortable mostly. so i encourage you to have it removed if you can. eventually it will impair your vision is it goes all the way over the pupil.
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