While we are building our careers away from home, our parents' health remains a constant concern. They often avoid visiting doctors for minor ailments, hoping the issues will resolve on their own.

However, some diseases exhibit early symptoms. By simply asking if they feel unwell, we can detect problems earlier and initiate timely treatment.

Two Typical Cases

Case One: Professor Wang, aged 55, underwent a school physical examination last week. An important indicator, the cup-to-disc ratio, was found to be enlarged during the fundus examination. Similar issues were noted in previous years' check-ups, but they were overlooked as they did not affect his teaching.

This examination revealed increased intraocular pressure in both eyes, and visual field testing showed typical glaucomatous defects. He was diagnosed with glaucoma and prescribed several types of eye drops. While the intraocular pressure is now under control, the visual field loss caused by glaucoma is irreversible.

Case Two: Grandma Liu, aged 70, recently noticed redness, swelling, and pain near the inner corner of her right eye. After examination, she was diagnosed with acute dacryocystitis in the right eye and prescribed eye drops along with intravenous infusion.

Upon repeated questioning, she mentioned that her right eye had been prone to tearing over the years, occasionally with pus discharge. She often purchased over-the-counter eye drops for relief, which provided slight improvement, so she never sought medical attention. The doctor suspected an obstructed tear duct and chronic dacryocystitis, with this episode being an acute flare-up.

How can we avoid repeating their experiences? It is best to familiarize ourselves with signs of eye discomfort and seek medical attention promptly if anything seems amiss.

Nine Common Warning Signs of Eye Problems

1. Vision Decline

Vision is our primary concern, and its decline is the most noticeable. However, there are several variations:

(1) Sudden vision loss that resolves quickly is particularly easy to overlook. This typically recovers within an hour, with episodes lasting from seconds to several minutes.

(2) Persistent vision loss lasting more than a day without recovery.

(3) Gradual, painless vision impairment developing over months to years, often described as a gradual blurring of vision.

(4) Blurred vision accompanied by eye pain.

2. Visual Distortion or Color Changes

Objects appearing bent or distorted, straight lines seeming curved, or vision becoming dimmer, reddish, or yellowish.

3. Floaters or Shadows

Small, drifting shadows in the visual field, varying in shape such as dots, lines, mosquitoes, or cobwebs, particularly noticeable against bright white backgrounds. This is commonly known as "floaters."

4. Flashes of Light

Sensations resembling lightning flashes, spots, or halos in the visual field, with varying durations.

5. Eye Pain

Frequent eye discomfort, including pain in the eyeball, orbit, or surrounding areas. Some may even experience nausea or headaches.

6. Double Vision

Seeing double images, where a single object appears as two. This can lead to missteps or falls, especially on stairs.

Sometimes, double vision occurs in only one eye and resolves when covered. In other cases, both eyes are affected, causing dizziness.

7. Foreign Body Sensation, Dryness, or Burning

A frequent urge to rub the eyes as if something is inside, or constant blinking due to dryness and discomfort.

8. Excessive Tearing

Unexplained frequent tearing, sometimes accompanied by pus discharge from the eye corners.

9. Visual Field Defects

Gradual narrowing of the visual field, eventually leaving only central vision, as if looking through a tube. This may cause collisions with objects in the periphery.

Potential Eye and Systemic Diseases

The symptoms listed above are among the most common. Some may be natural age-related changes, while others, though seemingly mild, could indicate serious underlying conditions.

1. Common Eye Diseases in Middle-Aged and Elderly Adults

Many eye diseases present with multiple symptoms, and the same disease can manifest differently in individuals.

Common conditions include presbyopia, cataracts, glaucoma, vitreous hemorrhage, macular degeneration, retinal vascular diseases, retinal detachment, dry eye syndrome, pterygium (a fleshy growth on the eye), keratitis, trichiasis, and dacryocystitis.

Doctors typically conduct further examinations based on medical history and preliminary findings to confirm the diagnosis.

2. Systemic Diseases Manifesting in the Eyes

Many systemic conditions may first present as eye problems, warranting extra caution.

These include brain-related issues such as tumors or minor strokes; diabetic retinopathy; hypertension, Sjögren's syndrome, and thyroid-related eye diseases.

If an ophthalmologist suspects such conditions, they may refer the patient to an internist for consultation or further treatment of the underlying disease.

Therefore, if your parents exhibit any of these symptoms, take them to see a doctor as early as possible. Timely intervention can alleviate symptoms and improve their quality of life. Wishing all parents good health and safety!