4 Strange, Eye-Related Symptoms and What They Might Mean

You rely on your eyes to see the beauty of the world around you, to read material related to schoolwork or your job, and even to carry out everyday tasks like eating and dressing. Most people, however, take their eye health for granted - that is, until a sudden, strange, eye-related symptom arises.

Some strange eye symptoms are, indeed, a sign of serious ailments. Others are not. Keep reading to learn about four strange eye-related symptoms and what they might mean.

If you see a tiny speck or cobweb in your visual field and that speck seems to travel around when you move your eyes, what you are observing is called a floater. The spots tend to be most noticeable when you look at a plain, flat image, such as a piece of white paper or a plain blue sky.

Don't get too worried if you have floaters - they are usually just a marker of age-related changes to the vitreous humor, the gelatinous liquid inside your eyeball. Rarely, however, they may indicate retinal damage, diabetes, hypertension, or inflammation at the back of the eye. So make an appointment with your eye doctor just to be on the safe side.

Having flashes or light appear in your visual field can be alarming. These flashes might look like bright spots, jagged lines, or even colorful rainbows. Typically, these flashes are the result of the vitreous humor inside your eye shrinking or expanding, causing your optic nerve to send abnormal signals to your brain.

Flashes of light can be caused by migraines, a stroke, or a torn retina. If you have a history of migraines, the flashes are accompanied by a headache or nausea, or the flash episodes last less than an hour, you are probably just suffering from a migraine.

On the other hand, if the flashes last more than an hour, they may indicate retinal damage. If you experience any confusion, paralysis, or numbness along with the flashes of light, a stroke may be to blame. Both of these conditions demand emergency medical care.

Amaurosis fugax is the formal term for a temporary loss of vision. It can occur in one or both eyes, and patients often describe its onset a curtain coming down over their visual field.

Amaurosis has a wide array of possible causes, including:

• Stroke
• Multiple sclerosis
• Migraine
• Optic neurosis, which is an inflammation of the optic nerve
• Glaucoma
• Inflammation of the iris

Seek medical attention immediately if you suddenly lose vision in one of both eyes. Once medical professionals rule out the possibility of a stroke, they will generally refer you to your eye doctor for additional diagnosis. Usually, your vision can be preserved as long as the underlying cause is identified and treated.

Sometimes patients experience brief episodes of eye pain. The pain may last a couple of minutes, fade away for hours or days, and then return. The most common cause of this episodic pain is glaucoma, a condition in which pressure in the back of the eye is abnormally high. Sometimes, the pain episodes may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, or blurry vision.

Glaucoma has no cure, but your eye doctor can prescribe medication to lower your intraocular pressure, which should put an end to the pain episodes and help preserve your vision. Do not delay seeking medical treatment. Without care, symptoms will only get worse over time.

The symptoms above may be alarming, but the causes are all manageable. Contact Hummel Eye Associates if you experience any strange eye-related symptoms. We're recognized as one of the most comprehensive eye care centers in Oklahoma. Our knowledgeable doctors use the most advanced testing procedures to diagnose and treat patients of all ages.