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Whether you have naturally perfect vision or wear corrective eyewear daily, your eye health should always be important to you. Serious signs that you need to see an optometrist right away may not always be obvious to you, so you need to make sure you know what problems to watch out for. Here is a list of eye health signs you should always see your eye doctor for.  

Lack of peripheral vision

Your peripheral vision is what you can see out of the corner of your eye. Since you're not looking directly at something, you can often only make out movements, shadows, or vague shapes, but you can still see enough to be aware of what is going on around you. When this starts to fade or you feel like you are getting tunnel vision, see your eye doctor as soon as you can. This may be a sign of glaucoma, a common eye disease that happens as people age.

Random flashes of light

Did you know that if your retina becomes detached, you don't feel any pain? The only symptoms you may experience is sudden loss of vision or rapid flashes of light before your eyes. You may also experience an influx of 'floaters' making your vision worse. If this happens to you see an optometrist right away to see if your retina has been torn or detached.

Red or very dry eyes

If your eyes are red and producing mucus for more than a few days, see your optometrist as soon as you can. You may have conjunctivitis, a common eye infection. It must be treated with antibiotics, and is very contagious. Other symptoms of conjunctivitis include:

• pressure in or around eyes
• eye bruising and swelling
• burning sensation in eyes
• sensitivity to light

If you have dry or scratchy eyes, this is another sign you may have an underlying issue that needs to be addressed by your eye doctor. Dry or itchy eyes can indicate debris or blocked tear ducts that can lead to further irritation or even infection if left unchecked. 

Yellow or white spots on eyes

You may notice white or yellowish spots or bumps on the white parts of your eyes. These are often results of photokeratitis, or a sunburn in your eyes. They can also be caused by regular irritation from debris if you work out in the dust daily. These may not be problematic on their own but should be checked out by your eye doctor anyhow, especially if they are sensitive to the touch or feel irritated.

Your eye health is very important, and eye issues can happen at any time. If you notice anything wrong with your vision or feel discomfort in your eyes, don't hesitate to see an optometrist (such as Cowan's Optical) right away.