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The is a site in the body which is prone to autoimmune inflammation. The inflammation cause pain and discomfort in bright lights. Uveitis usually occurs on its own but occasionally it is associated with a general medical disorder or even rare infections. It is important that the uveitis is investigated and that it is treated. The condition can damage the eye, eg cataract and glaucoma, and must be treated quickly.

The surface of the cornea has a covering called the epithelium. If the eye is scratched, the epithelium can come off causing an abrasion. This is very painful but thankfully the cornea heals rapidly over 24 hours. Occasionally the epithelium does not heal well and might come off again overnight giving a recurrent corneal erosion.

The eye is delicate and prone to damage from trauma. Sometimes this is mild with corneal abrasion or surface foreign body, but more severe injuries are possible with risk of loss of vision and need for surgery.

We have two eyes to allow us to see in 3D. Keeping the eyes aligned is a complex process involving the eye muscles, nerves and the brain. Double vision occurs when the eyes are not aligned and can signify a problem with any of the three.

A feeling of a foreign body in the eye may be caused by a number of factors. Foreign bodies may enter the eye from dust, wind, or from the use of work tools such as saws or grinders. The foreign bodies may lodge themselves under the upper eyelid or in the cornea itself, so it is crucial to remove these promptly to reduce damage to the eyes.

Sometimes the delicate conjunctival blood vessels in the eye can rupture and bleed onto the white portion of the eye. This can happen spontaneously, or because of trauma to the eye. The red eye produced may look very dramatic. Usually, spontaneous sub-conjunctival haemorrhage is an innocent finding though it may be recommended to have your blood pressure checked.

Conjunctivitis is a common infection of the surface of the eye and it may be caused by bacterial or viral infection. It is important to have the eye checked and treated as soon as possible and to receive medical advice on reducing spread of the infection.

Dots and lines (floaters) or flashes of light in your vision are common.
Floaters and flashes are usually harmless if you sometimes see floaters – such as small dark dots, squiggly lines, rings or cobwebs, flashes of light in your vision. It is important to get urgent advice if floaters or flashes appear suddenly, the number of floaters or flashes suddenly increases, you have a dark “curtain” or shadow moving across your vision, you also have blurred vision, eye pain or if the floaters start after eye surgery or an eye injury. These could be signs of a serious problem with the back of your eye, which could permanently affect your vision if it is not treated urgently.

Headaches are common and most are temporary and innocent. Rarely headaches are a sign of disease and if present with visual symptoms you should call the clinic for advice and investigation. The most combination of a headache and vision issues (zigzag lights) is a migraine.

Distortion of vision is present when straight lines are bent out of shape. This is a symptom which can occur with a number of retinal conditions. In this case they may require rapid assessment for eye injections to reverse the condition.

Diabetes can cause damage the small blood vessels of the body. The retina is particularly vulnerable to loss or malfunction of these blood vessels and if not treated by laser or injections the patient may lose vision from swelling of the retina, haemorrhage or retinal detachment.

If you are over 60 years of age and have headache and visual loss combined, one possibility is a condition called cranial arteritis. This is treated with steroid tablets which must be taken as soon as possible, as the condition can cause severe permanent loss of vision.

With proper use, contact lenses are safe and effective for improved eyesight. Even so, rare complications can occur such as scratching of the cornea, infections of the cornea and loss of the contact lens on the eye surface. It is important to have the eye inspected if there is any pain or loss of vision with contact lens use.

In general, anyone who experiences a sudden loss of vision should have an emergency review of their eyes. There are numerous conditions which might cause this and many are treatable by surgery or medication if performed rapidly.

The retina is an essential part of the eye that enables vision. It’s a thin layer of tissue that covers approximately 65 percent of the back of the eye, near the optic nerve. There are a number of potential retina issues which can occur which include retinal tears and retinal detachments. Symptoms of a detached retina include flashes of light and a sudden increase in eye floaters. It is crucial to get seen and treated as soon as possible, preferably within days of diagnosis.