Should I Tell My Eye Doctor About Vision Loss?

When it comes to your health, you think you know when to see your doctor. If you have a cold, a cut that won’t heal, or a concerning medical symptom, you go to the doctor.

But when do you go to the eye doctor? Like the rest of your body, your eyes sometimes need some attention outside of a regular eye exam.

If you experience any kind of vision loss, you should tell your eye doctor right away. Prompt action could save your vision! Keep reading to learn more!

Visual Indicators

What does vision loss mean, exactly? There are many areas of your vision that you can lose.

Knowing which section of vision is giving you trouble is a key part of figuring out what’s wrong with your eyes. Any kind of vision loss should be reported to your eye doctor, but here are the major indicators of some of the more common eye conditions:

• Loss of central vision
• Loss of peripheral vision: losing the edges of your vision, which sometimes leads to tunnel vision
• Blurry vision
• Loss of low light vision: decreased ability to see at night or in low light
• Loss of ability to see the contrast
• Extreme light sensitivity

Conditions that Cause Vision Loss

Vision loss is more common in older adults. No matter what your age, you can experience serious visual problems. If you’re younger, blurry vision may be a sign of a refractive error, like nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.

Most refractive errors can be corrected with glasses or contacts. More rarely, you could have amblyopia, which happens when your eyes don’t develop normally. This can be harder to correct, but can still be treated.

Loss of night vision at a young age may be a sign of retinitis pigmentosa. This is another condition that you can manage once it’s diagnosed.

If you’re older, around your forties, fifties, or sixties, it may be a sign of having cataracts. Cataracts also may make it harder to see contrast and increase light sensitivity.

Vision loss, either central or peripheral, can often be a sign of more serious conditions like glaucoma, macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy. This is especially concerning if you’re over 40.

With these diseases, vision loss is irreversible. But these conditions can also be managed, especially when caught early on.

Regular eye exams increase the odds of diagnosing one of these conditions before there’s even vision loss. But if you do experience loss of your central or peripheral vision, no matter how slight, tell your eye doctor right away! Diagnosis and treatment is the only way to slow down further damage.

When to Seek Care

If you have any issues with your eyes, it’s best to go and see your eye doctor. Even if your symptoms are mild, it’s better to be a little cautious.

This is especially true if you’re 40 or older, as vision loss can be a sign of serious age-related conditions. Early diagnosis and treatment can combat further vision loss and preserve your eyesight for years to come.

Concerned that you may be losing your vision? Schedule an appointment at Berg Feinfield Vision Correction in South Pasadena, CA today!