While it's normal for your vision to change slightly as you get older, suddenly worsening eyesight often points to a serious issue. Whether it's blurriness that's cropped up overnight, or the sudden appearance of floaters (those specks or particles that swirl in your eyes), vision changes are not something you should take lightly. And it should prompt you to get them check out, ASAP.
Eye jumping that is more serious may be caused by a neurological condition like hemifacial spasm or blepharospasm. Chronic eye jumping is not common, but it can be bad enough to make keeping the eyes open difficult. This may cause some impairment of vision. You may have eye jumping at times that lasts for days or weeks. There are occasional times where I am very fatigued and think I might be able to 'feel' it, but I think it just because I am aware I have it. At that point, my vision has usually gone blurry anyway, so it doesn't really matter, lol. No such thing: I have never heard of shaky vision. There is a condition called nystagmus where the eyes rotate or move back and forth when awake. Send thanks to the doctor. A 26-year-old female asked: what causes snowy vision. Other possible causes of sudden-onset transient double vision are an actual stroke, diabetes and trauma to the head. Lights in your peripheral vision, or eye floaters, are most often caused by changes in the jelly-like substance in the eyes due to age, explains the Mayo Clinic. They also might be caused by inflammation, bleeding in the eye or a torn retina. When eye floaters occur due to age, it is often due to the jelly-like substance in the eye liquefying.
Not only is worsening eyesight a signal that something might be wrong with your peepers, but it can also be a sign of an underlying health condition. So if your eyes are bothering you, or you notice any changes, definitelymake an appointment with your eye doctor to figure out what's up.
And, while you're at it, make it a habit to get an eye exam frequently — whether you're experiencing symptoms or not. 'Make sure to get your eyes checked every two years,' Dr. Scott Schreiber, tells Bustle. 'The earlier you check, the better chance [you have] of fighting off diseases.'
Because, as is true for most health issues, the earlier your doctor can catch a problem, the healthier your eyes will be. Read on below for signs your symptoms may be a sign of a serious eye issue, according to experts.
1. You See A Gray Shadow
If you notice a gray shadow in your eye, don't wait around for it to go away. As health writer Katherine Lee said on EverydayHealth.com, '... a gray curtain moving across your field of vision could be [a sign] of a detachment of the retina — the nerve layer in the back of the eye that sends images to the brain.' If not treated quickly it can lead to blindness, so get thyself to a doctor ASAP.
2. Your Face Feels Tingly
If you experience vision changes as well as a tingling in your face, it is most definitely an emergency. As Schreiber says, these are two signs of a stroke, which is clearly a reason to seek immediate medical help.
3. You See Black Spots In Your Vision
Black spots in your vision, as well as blurriness, may be a sign of an eye condition known as macular degeneration. So these are two symptoms you don't want to keep to yourself. 'A diagnosis of macular degeneration early on can help patients prevent advancement of the disease,' Dr. Jean Keamy, board-certified ophthalmologist, tells Bustle. 'Treatment options for macular degeneration include vitamin therapy, lifestyle changes, and sometimes injections into the eye.'
4. You Lose Vision In One Eye
I'd hope if you lost vision in one eye you'd go immediately to the ER. But really, it's surprising how often people don't notice or think it's not a big deal. As Schreiber says, 'Losing half or part of vision in one eye can be a sign of a brain tumor or mass in the brain.' And that's obviously something that needs to be treated right away.
5. You Suddenly Have A Lot Of Floaters
While a few floaters in your field of vision is usually OK, it's not so normal to have a sudden onslaught of tiny particles swirling across your eye. According to Lee, this can be another sign of a retinal tear or retinal detachment. If you get yourself treated quickly, it can be fixed via surgery.
6. You See Halos Around Lights
Have you noticed halos or circles when you look at lights at night? If so, it could be a sign of an eye disease called glaucoma. As noted on WebMD.com, 'Glaucoma is a condition that causes damage to your eye's optic nerve and gets worse over time.' Usually it has to do with the pressure in your eye, which can be alleviated (and controlled) with eye drops or surgery.
7. You Have A Sensitivity To Light
As health writer Christine Case-Lo said on Healthline.com, 'With age, the proteins inside your lens can clump together turning the lens from clear to cloudy.' This is what's known as a cataract, and it can cause a sensitivity to light along with clouded or blurred vision, and a need to frequently change your eyeglasses prescription. Cataracts won't go away on their own, so make sure you tell your eye doctor if you notice any of these signs.
8. You Can't See Well At Night
Not being able to see well at night might be a sign of a serious issue, Keamy tells me. While it generally affects older people, it is another symptom of cataracts worth watching out for. (No pun intended.)
9. You Have Pain In Your Eyes
Any type of eye pain shouldn't go on ignored, especially since it can be a sign of underlying issues. As Schreiber tells me, one cause could be a condition known as optic neuritis. This is the inflammation of your optic nerve, and often occurs in people who have multiple sclerosis. While not the most common cause for eye pain, it's still something you should discuss with your doctor.
10. You're Experiencing Symptoms Of Diabetes
Does diabetes run in your family? And if so, have you been tested for the disease? If not, it may explain your worsening vision. According to an article on WebMD.com, high blood sugar can cause your eye lens to swell, which can lead to blurry vision. While it doesn't seem like a big deal, blurry vision is definitely not something you should ignore.
11. You Have Persistent Discomfort
Eye pain for no reason is one thing. But if you experience eye discomfort after, say, drilling or hammering, it could be cause for concern. As Lee said, 'Have your eyes checked out by a doctor to make sure that you don’t have a foreign particle in the eye, which can cause an infection.' And that's definitely not something you want getting out of control.
Occasional Blurred Vision Followed By Headache
While not all eye problems are a sign of something super serious, they still shouldn't be ignored. If you feel like your vision is worsening, or if you're experiencing any of the annoying symptoms above, be sure to make an appointment with your eye doctor.
Have you ever seen a momentary black spot in your vision? How about rugged white lines? Something that looks like heat waves sparkling in your peripheral vision?
Jagged Lines in a Vision: Causes and Symptoms
If you have, you may have been experiencing what is referred to as an ocular migraine. Ocular migraines take place when capillary spasm in the visual center of the brain (the occipital lobe) or the retina.
They can take on a number of various symptoms however usually last from a few minutes to an hour. They can take on either positive or negative visual symptoms indicating they can produce what looks like a black blocked out area in your vision (negative symptom) or they can produce visual symptoms that you see however understand aren’t really there like heat waves or rugged white lines that look nearly like lightning streaks (positive symptoms).
Some individuals do get a headache after the visual symptoms however many people do not. They get the visual symptoms which resolve on their own in under an hour and after that usually just feel slightly out of sorts after the episode however don’t get a considerable headache. The majority of episodes last about 20 minutes however can go on for an hour. The hallmark of this problem is that when the visual phenomenon solves the vision returns totally back to normal with no residual change or defect.
Occasional Blurred Vision And Headache
If you have this happen for the first time it can be fairly scary and it is a good idea to have a thorough eye examination by your eye doctor or eye doctor not long after the episode to be sure there is nothing else causing the problem.
There are other things besides an ocular migraine that can trigger similar symptoms. Flashing lights and new drifting spots in your vision could be the indication of a retinal tear or detachment (see I’m seeing new floating spots in my vision, what should I do?).
Many individuals who get ocular migraines tend to have them occur in clusters. They will get 3 or four episodes within a week and after that may not have another one for numerous months or even years.
There are some attributes that raise your threat for ocular migraines. The greatest one is an individual history of having migraine headaches. Having a family history of migraines likewise raises your threat as does a history of movement sickness.
Although the symptoms can trigger a great deal of stress and anxiety, especially on the first incident, ocular migraines seldom trigger any long term issues and nearly never need treatment as long as they are not accompanied by significant headaches.
So if symptoms like this unexpectedly take place in your vision attempt to stay calm, pull over if you are driving, and just await them to disappear. If they persist for longer than an hour, then you need to look for immediate medical attention.
When to See a Doctor?
Of course, if you see such lines in your vision – this is an excuse to see a doctor and not to self-medicate. Contact your ophthalmologist if you find one or more of the following symptoms:
- seeing waves in peripheral vision (out of corner of eye)
- seeing white lines in your vision
- having blurry waves in peripheral vision
- jagged line in vision field
- edge of vision shimmering (sometimes, constantly)
- waves in eyesight and headache
- jagged flashing lights in vision
- mirage vision in eyes, etc.