Unless your vision has changed, you may not give your eye health much thought. But it’s good for you to be familiar with what good eye health feels like, so if your eyes don’t feel quite right, you know what to look out for, what you can do and when to seek help.
If you’ve noticed a change in your eyes, you can find a whole range of vision and eye problems below, alongside helpful information about their symptoms and treatment.
Your eyes can also indicate signs of more problematic issues to do with your general health like diabetes and high blood pressure. Symptoms of these conditions are not always obvious, so regular eye health tests are an essential part of maintaining your health and vision.
If you have one of the eye problems below call your nearest store to book an urgent eye health check.
Blurry/cloudy vision
Sudden onset blurred vision
Reduced vision
Eye twitching
Floaters/black dots in vision
Something’s in your eye / gritty eyes
Itchy eyes
Bloodshot eye / red eye
Headaches
Swollen/puffy eyelid
Scratched eye
Sore/red-eye
Flashing lights with or without floaters
Common eye problems
Long-sightedness
If you’re long-sighted (also known as hyperopia), you’ll find that you can see objects far away clearly, but those close by will be out of focus. It’s quite common and very easy to treat.
Short-sightedness
Also known as myopia, short-sightedness means you can see clearly up close, but things far away are blurred. It’s a common condition and very easy to treat.
Presbyopia
The symptoms of presbyopia start around the age of 40 to 45. It occurs when the lens of the eye hardens as we age, making it more difficult to focus on things close up.
Astigmatism
When the eye has an abnormal shape, often like a rugby ball or oval, rather than a round shape. Like short- or long-sightedness, astigmatism is a very common and treatable cause of blurred vision.
Blurry vision
Blurry vision can be a symptom of an existing eye condition, or a sign that you need a new pair of glasses.
Floaters
Seeing black dots in your vision, also known as floaters, is common and usually nothing to worry about.
Macular degeneration
This affects your central vision and your ability to focus on things like driving, faces and reading. There are two types: dry and wet.
Glaucoma
A group of diseases affecting the optic nerve, often associated with a build-up of pressure in the eye. There are two types: chronic and acute.
Cataracts
Cloudy patches in the lens of the eye, causing blurry, misty vision. They’re usually more common in people over 65.
Other eye conditions
Blepharitis
Red and swollen eyelids – particularly around the edges – that can be caused by an infection or a skin condition. It’s not serious but it can lead to further problems.
Chalazion
Sometimes confused with a stye, a chalazion is often a painless swelling or lump that develops in your eyelid. It’s not serious, and will usually disappear on its own.
Cloudy vision
Cloudy vision is when objects appear ‘milky’ as if you’re looking through a cloudy piece of glass in one or both eyes.
Colour blindness
Also known as colour vision deficiency, this happens when people find it difficult to distinguish between certain colours. It’s very rare to be completely colour-blind.
Conjunctivitis (red or pink eye)
Inflammation of the membrane that covers the eye and inside of the eyelids, making the eye look red with a burning or itchy feeling.
Corneal ulcers
A painful sore on the cornea (the clear layer at the front of your eye). It might feel like you have something in your eye and may look like a grey or white spot.
Diabetic Retinopathy
A condition caused by diabetes that affects the small blood vessels in the eye, damaging the retina, which is vital for sight.
Dilated pupils
Pupil dilation is normal and happens when light levels drop. However, fixed dilated pupils, also known as mydriasis, can be a sign of something more serious.
Double vision
Also known as diplopia, this is a condition where you see two images instead of one. Find out more about what can cause double vision and some of the ways to treat it.
Dry eye syndrome
Occurs when your eyes don’t make enough tears or they evaporate too quickly causing dry, red and irritated eyes.
Dyslexia and vision
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that can have an impact on vision by causing problems with reading, writing and spelling, making text appear blurry or jumbled.
Endophthalmitis
Inflammation of the tissues inside the eye. This is a rare eye condition, but potentially serious, so is usually treated as an emergency.
Eye pain
From infections to glaucoma, eye pain can occur for a number of reasons. Read to find out more
Eye strain
Eye strain, or asthenopia, occurs when the eyes get tired from intense use. Our guide will help you minimise symptoms of eye strain.
Eye twitching
Most cases of eye twitching go away without treatment after 1-2 weeks. If your case of eye twitching doesn’t go away, you can try to eliminate some of the causes.
Gritty eye
Feel like there's something in your eye, even if there's not? We look at some common causes for gritty and sore eyes.
Hay fever
Find out about the causes and symptoms of hay fever and its effects on your eye health here.
Iritis
This is an inflammation of the iris that can result in pain, redness, light sensitivity and blurred vision.
Itchy eyes
A common symptom of certain eye conditions and allergies, itchy eyes are generally short-lived and easy to treat.
Keratoconus
This condition causes the usually round cornea to weaken at the centre, changing it to a cone-like shape. This can affect the way the eye focuses and can lead to blurred or distorted vision.
Lazy eye (Amblyopia)
Also known as amblyopia, this condition is very common in children, and usually means that one eye is weaker than the other.
Light sensitivity
Also known as photophobia this is a symptom of light intolerance that causes uncomfortable and sometimes painful eyes when exposed to bright light.
Macular hole
A hole that forms in the centre of the retina – where we process detailed and central vision. It may lead to reduced vision, but in many cases can be treated with an operation.
Macular oedema
Affecting the macula in the retina, macular oedema refers to a fluid build-up that results in blurry vision.
Night blindness
Also known as nyctalopia, this is a symptom of various eye conditions that make it difficult to see at night or in low light environments.
Nystagmus
Nystagmus, or ‘dancing eyes’, is the involuntary movement of the eyes. It usually looks like the eyes are constantly moving, either side to side, up and down, in a circle or a combination of all three.
Ocular herpes
Ocular herpes, also known as eye herpes, is an eye condition caused by the Herpes Simplex virus (HSV) or the Varicella Zoster virus (VZV).
Ocular hypertension
Raised eye pressure caused by issues draining the fluid inside the eye. Although symptomless, people with ocular hypertension are more at risk of developing glaucoma, a more serious eye condition.
Ocular migraines (retinal migraines)
Ocular migraines are temporary visual disturbances, which usually occur in one eye. They’re quite common and symptoms will normally disappear on their own.
Pinguecula
A common age-related condition where yellow bumps develop on the white of your eye. It’s usually harmless and is typically caused by long-term exposure to UV light from the sun.
Posterior vitreous detachment
An age-related condition that causes an increase of floaters in your vision. It’s usually nothing to worry about, but can be linked to retinal detachment.
Pterygium
A pterygium is a non-cancerous growth that develops on the sclera, the white bit of your eye.
Ptosis
Ptosis, also known as droopy eyelid, is a condition where the eyelid starts to fall down below the normal level.
Puffy eye
As the name suggests, puffy eyes look like your eyes are puffed up or swollen. This can be caused by a number of things, including lifestyle factors, but it’s usually nothing to worry about.
Red eye
It may look alarming, but it’s usually a sign of a minor condition like conjunctivitis. However, it may be a more serious issue if you feel any pain.
Retinal detachment
Occurs when the retina, which lines the back of the eye, pulls away from the blood vessels that keep it healthy.
Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP)
Retinitis pigmentosa, also known as RP, is a genetic condition that affects peripheral and night vision.
Scratched eye
Also known as a corneal abrasion, a scratched eye is a pretty common complaint but it can range in severity.
Snow blindness
Also known as photokeratitis, this is a temporary but painful eye condition where the cornea becomes sunburned due to overexposure of UV light.
Squint
A squint, or strabismus, is prevalent in young children but can occur at any age. It is noticeable in the way the eyes do not align correctly.
Stye
Also known as a hordeolum, a stye is a small, often painful lump developing on the inside or outside the eyelid.
Subconjunctival haemorrhage
Although this condition sounds and looks a bit worrying, it’s a painless and usually harmless condition where one of the blood vessels on the surface of the eye bursts.
Sunstroke and sunburned eyes
Just as the sun can harm your skin, it can also affect your eyes and potentially impact your vision. Make sure to protect your eyes from UV damage on sunnier days.
Swollen eyelid
Learn about some of the possible causes as well as what you can do to relieve any eyelid swelling you may experience.
Tunnel vision
Occurs due to a loss in peripheral vision and can be caused by a range of other eye health problems. Sometimes a prism lens can be added to your prescription to help the problem.
Uveitis
A rare condition, uveitis causes the middle layer of the eye to become inflamed, which can cause pain, redness, and swelling.
Watering eyes
This happens if too many tears are produced or if they can’t drain properly causing sore, uncomfortable eyes with blurred vision.
An OCT scan can help detect the early signs of multiple eye conditions such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration before you have any symptoms.
Our work with Glaucoma UK
Glaucoma is generally a symptomless condition and, left undetected and untreated, can lead to loss of vision. We work closely with the charity Glaucoma UK to help raise awareness of glaucoma and to help avoid preventable sight loss caused by the disease.
Our collaborations have included specialist glaucoma training for Specsavers colleagues so our teams can help people with glaucoma manage their condition – specifically helping people use eye drops.
Newmedica
We’re on a mission to END the 50% of sight and hearing loss that is avoidable. That's why Newmedica surgical centres are part of the Specsavers family, offering direct and affordable access to consultant led, specialist eye treatment.
Newmedica, part of the Specsavers group, is a leading provider of NHS funded and private Ophthalmology services across England where our consultant ophthalmologists specialise in Cataracts, Glaucoma, Macular, Vitreoretinal and Oculoplastic services.
