Ideally, you should see your eye doctor every one or two years to stay on top of your eye health. Not only can your vision change in this amount of time, but also your ophthalmologist can identify other health problems like diabetes, stress and high blood pressure. However, there are times when you should visit an ophthalmologist despite when your last visit was. You could be dealing with an issue that requires immediate care, such as retinal detachment.
Below are the red flags that you should schedule an appointment with your Brooklyn eye doctor right away.
Difficulty seeing at night or when driving
Everyone has a harder time seeing at night, but if it’s more difficult than usual, this is a sign that something isn’t right. You might need a stronger prescription or a cataract may be forming. An ophthalmologist doctor in New York will assess what’s going on and recommend a solution.
Sensitivity to light
Generally speaking, when your eyes are sensitive to light, this means there is some type of inflammation. The problem could be with your cornea or deeper into the eye. Your ophthalmologist will look into your eyes and diagnose the cause of the sensitivity. An early appointment also prevents permanent scarring from forming.
Blurry vision
If you’re having blurry vision or trouble focusing on objects, a trip to the eye doctor will provide insight. Again, it could be something simple like needing a new eyeglass or contact prescription, or it could be more serious. To reduce the blurriness, your doctor may prescribe eye drops, oral medication or surgery.
Eye pain
Don’t mistake eye pain for stress or fatigue. Your eyes are telling you that something is wrong. Eye pain is not normal and can suggest an aggressive type of glaucoma, an eye infection, irritation from a foreign object, dry eye, allergies or a scratched cornea. Before you can treat the pain, you must know what is causing it, which is why it’s worth a quick trip to your eye doctor in Brooklyn NY.
Red or pink eyes
Even though we all have red or pink eyes at times, it can signal something serious. Red or pink eyes are related to a number of conditions like conjunctivitis, allergies or glaucoma. The first course of action may be to see your primary doctor, which is fine, but if the redness or pinkness isn’t going away, you’ll want to schedule an appointment with your eye specialist in Brooklyn.
Any time you experience changes in vision or experience symptoms that last longer than a day or two, you should contact your ophthalmologist to see what’s going on. Even if it’s nothing serious, your doctor can come up with an appropriate plan of action to reduce your symptoms. If you find out that you have something more serious going on, contact the retina specialists at Empire Retina Consultants.