5 Common Visual Problems – When to Worry and When to See a Doctor

5 Common Visual Problems – When to Worry and When to See a Doctor

1. Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)

What it is: Inflammation of the clear tissue covering the white of the eye.

When to worry

• Increasing redness or swelling
• Thick yellow or green discharge
• Eye pain or light sensitivity

When to see a doctor

• Symptoms last more than 3–4 days
• Vision becomes blurry
• You wear contact lenses
• A baby or young child is affected.

2. Dry Eye Syndrome

What it is: Inadequate or poor-quality tears.

When to worry

• Persistent burning or stinging
• Redness that does not improve
• Blurred vision not relieved by blinking

When to see a doctor

• Artificial tears do not help
• Eye pain develops
• Symptoms interfere with daily activities.

3. Cataracts

What it is: Clouding of the eye’s natural lens.

When to worry

• Increasing difficulty with night driving
• Sensitivity to glare
• Colours appearing faded

When to see a doctor

• Vision interferes with reading, driving, or work
• Rapid vision changes
• Frequent changes in glasses prescription.

4. Glaucoma

What it is: Damage to the optic nerve, often from high eye pressure.

When to worry

• Gradual loss of side (peripheral) vision
• Eye pain with redness

When to see a doctor

• Regular eye exams detect increased eye pressure
• Sudden eye pain, headache, nausea, or blurred vision (urgent).

5. Retinal Detachment

What it is: Separation of the retina from the back of the eye.

When to worry

• Sudden flashes of light
• Sudden increase in floaters
• Shadow or ‘curtain’ over vision

When to see a doctor

• Immediately—this is an eye emergency
• Go to an A&E (in a large regional hospital) or eye specialist at once.

🚨 Seek urgent medical care for any of the following:

• Sudden vision loss
• Severe eye pain
• Eye injury or chemical exposure
• New vision changes with headache or nausea.