Wait and Think! Are your eyes healthy?

Are you seeing stars or flashes of lights, or cow webs floating, or colored haloes around light source, read without you reading glasses...Well you are not developing supernatural vision nor are things going to become better by ignoring. Get over your fear (doctor or dread of disease), as you are still able to see! All you need to do is fix an appointment with your eye specialist.

FLOATERS: 
Floaters or cow webs are tiny thread like floating objects we see in our field of vision. They are better appreciated against a light background. Most of the times they are harmless aging changes. They have slow random projectile type of movement. Many adults can observe one or two floater in one of their eyes. Better if you can increase antioxidants in your diet. If there is sudden increase in size, number or prominence, or they start disturbing your visual field it’s time to see an eye doctor. There can be associated flashes of light.

FLASHES: 
Sometimes some of us see flashes of light or stars falling or moving in one direction inside our eye. These star showers can be in spurts or continuous. First of all leave all heavy jobs and lie down to rest.  There are higher chances if you wear high minus number (Lasik removes your number by changing the contour of your cornea, but your eyeball remains unchanged and carry’s the associated weakness),had some eye trauma (sometimes even a minor one), had retinal detachment in one eye or even a family history. Even if flashes stop by themselves, it is advisable to get a thorough retina examination done.

COLORED HALOES: 
You observe a blue red circle around a light source such as vehicle headlights, lamps etc. Some describe it as a rainbow around light. Check for associated redness, stickiness, watering, discomfort, eye pain, headache, time of the day (morning/evening). Colored haloes can be seen sometimes in eye infections. They can be appreciated in early cataracts by some. Glaucoma may too present with it. So visit an eye specialist to find out what is the cause in your case.

READING WITHOUT READING GLASSES: 
After using reading glasses for some years lately one feels that he/she can see well without the glasses. An above 40 years old is thrilled with the thought! This is an indication that your minus number is increasing due to nuclear sclerosis; in simple words you are developing cataract. Hence an eye check-up is due.