Poor vision in adults or children can be the result of several possible conditions such as changes in the body or abnormalities in the eye, diseases affecting the eye, side effects of medication or injury. Lots of people also experience visual disturbances resulting from aging or eye stress. These experiences can cause changes in your vision, which might sometimes make it uncomfortable or difficult to get through normal activities such as reading fine print or looking at a computer screen for extended periods of time. These vision problems can be expressed via the following symptoms: blurry vision, headaches, eye strain, squinting and struggling with short or long distances.
Blurred vision is one of the most commonly occurring signs of a vision problem. If you report blurred vision when you are focusing on faraway objects, you might very well have myopia, or be nearsighted. If you suffer from blurred vision when you're viewing objects close by it may be a sign of hyperopia, or farsightedness. Blurred vision can also mean you have astigmatism due to a flaw in the way the cornea is formed. In all cases of blurry vision, it is essential that an eye care professional examine your vision and prescribe a solution to help clarify your sight.
Another common sign of a vision problem is trouble distinguishing shades or brightness of color. This indicates color blindness. Color blindness is often not known to the patient until proven via a consultation. Color blindness is mostly something that affects males. If present in a female it may represent ocular disease, and an optometrist should be consulted. For those who struggle to distinguish between objects in dim light, it is a sign of possible night blindness.
Cataracts, a condition commonly found in older people can have numerous telltale signs which include: unclear vision that is worse in bright light, trouble seeing in the dark or reduced light, trouble seeing small writing or details, colors that appear faded or yellowed, double or triple vision in one eye only painful inflammation of the eye, and an opaque white look to the usually dark pupil.
Throbbing eye pain, headaches, blurred sight, inflammation in the eye, rainbow halos around lights, nausea and vomiting are indicators of glaucoma, an acute medical condition, which needs medical attention.
When it comes to children, it is important to watch for weak eye movement, or crossed eyes, which could indicate a vision problem known as strabismus. Specific behavior in children, such as rubbing one or both eyes, squinting, or the need to close one eye to look at things better, often point to strabismus.
While clearly some conditions could be more problematic than others, anything that limits good eyesight will be a burden, and impact your quality of life. A short appointment with your optometrist can prevent being avoidably uncomfortable, or even more severe eye and vision problems.