Eye Care Albany NY

Our eyes are more than just the windows to our soul, they are the windows to our health. Healthy vision is important, allowing us to enjoy and interact with the world around us through the sense of sight. As such, it is important that we protect our vision through routine eye examinations. Many eye conditions can be detected and treated or managed well before our vision is affected. Here are some signs that indicate you should seek professional eye care in Albany NY.

Difficulty reading

While we generally recommend an eye exam once every two years at a minimum, you may find yourself seeing the eye doctor more regularly as the eye begins to age. Age related blurry near vision, or presbyopia is the most common cause of near vision loss. This is perfectly natural and will happen to all of us to some degree. However, there are other eye conditions that may also affect your near vision. Consulting an eye doctor to distinguish between normal age related changes versus an eye disease is recommended.

Changes in night vision

Night-time driving or low light conditions are excellent situations to evaluate eye health. As we age, or if there are certain eye diseases present, low light conditions can become increasingly difficult. One condition that can manifest in this fashion is age-related cataracts. Cataracts are a clouding of the crystalline lens inside of the eye. In the early stages, cataracts may cause difficulty with nighttime driving, or cause halos or starbursts around point sources of light. Road signs may be difficult to read as well. As they advance, cataracts can cause changes to your vision that may only be temporarily corrected with glasses, or not at all. Having an eye doctor evaluate your eyes in these circumstances will help you be more informed about the changes that occur in an aging eye.

Persistent headaches

Headaches and migraines are common afflictions that many of us experience. However, headaches or migraines that affect your vision, such as causing the vision to go gray or temporarily black, or cause auras or “fuzziness” in your vision are not normal. These situations should be urgently evaluated by your eye doctor in Albany NY.

New floaters or flashes of light

Have you ever seen black cobweb-like spots in your vision? Or tiny ‘floaters’ moving across your vision? In many instances, these floaters, which are tiny pieces of tissue that float inside of the eye, are normal and are not a cause for alarm. However, a sudden increase in floaters or flashes of light may be a sign of mechanical stimulation of the retina. This mechanical stimulation is due to the fact that the vitreous, the jelly-like substance of the eye, is pulling on the retina. If the vitreous pulls too hard on the retina, a retinal hole or tear can form. These conditions should be evaluated by an eye health provider in Albany, NY as soon as possible.

Blurry vision in the morning sharpens as the day progresses.

Blurry vision that sharpens at the day progresses can be a sign of a corneal condition that causes the cornea (front part of the eye) to swell up. This condition is more common in women than in men and usually begins around 30-40 years of age with no apparent cause. Such a condition should be evaluated and monitored by a cornea specialist in Albany NY.

Computer vision syndrome and dry eye

Everyone is using a computer, tablet, or smartphone these days – but did you just how much? We spend, on average, over 10 hours a day on digital devices. This can result in eye strain and, eventually, dry eye. While we generally think of dry eye as a nuisance, dry eye is actually an inflammatory disease that can self perpetuate if not identified and treated. The longer dry eye is present, the less resilient the eye is to environmental conditions, and the greater the chance of developing more clinically significant dry eye in the future. As there are three different types of dry eye, it is important to visit an eye doctor to have your type of dry eye evaluated, so that it can be properly managed.

Light sensitivity

Sudden light sensitivity is not normal and can be an indicator of, amongst other things, an eye infection, corneal abrasion, or auto-immune disease. Since these problems can cause serious consequences if left untouched, contact your eye doctor in Albany NY if your sensitivity to light changes unexpectedly.

An eye infection

Eye infections range from conjunctivitis to blepharitis, an inflammation of the lid margins. In more serious circumstances, infections may damage the cornea, the clear dome-like structure on the front of the eye. Some eye infections may also be highly contagious and can spread to your family or friends. If you suspect an eye or lid infection, schedule an appointment with a leading eye doctor in Albany NY for an evaluation.