Signs You Need a Comprehensive Eye Exam
Emily Thompson
Reception at Optha triages every call, and the questions they ask are always the same three: what changed, when did it change, and is it one eye or both. Those three answers decide whether you are offered the next routine slot or asked to come in today.
Ring us the same day
- A sudden loss or reduction of vision, in one eye or both
- A shower of new floaters, or flashes of light
- A curtain or shadow moving across the field of vision
- Sudden double vision
- A painful, red eye, particularly with light sensitivity or reduced vision
- An injury to the eye, or a chemical splash
None of these are things to sleep on. They may turn out to be minor. Establishing that is the appointment’s job, not yours.
Book an appointment soon
- Vision that has gradually blurred over weeks or months
- Headaches after close work or screen use that do not settle
- Difficulty with night driving, or halos around lights
- Persistent grittiness, watering or burning
- A child sitting very close to a screen, squinting, or covering one eye
Book at your next routine interval
- No symptoms, but you are due
- A small change you have adapted to and that has been stable
- A new prescription you would like reviewed after a few months
Why “one eye or both” matters so much
People are poor at noticing a change in one eye, because the other one covers for it. The way to check is to close one eye at a time, briefly, and compare. Doing that occasionally is the single most useful habit in this article, and it costs nothing.
If the two eyes disagree with each other, say so when you call. It moves you up the list.
