Sunglasses and UV: choosing a pair that protects
A darker lens doesn't mean more protection, and an expensive pair isn't always better. What to look for in sunglasses, according to eye care and public health bodies.
Eye symptoms: what to note and when to get help
The symptoms people log most in Ocufuse, what is useful to write down for your eye doctor, and the signs that need care straight away.
Get urgent care straight away forsudden double vision, sudden loss or dimming of vision, a suddenly drooping eyelid, new flashes or a curtain across your vision, a painful red eye, or any eye injury. Call your local emergency number or go to an emergency department. More warning signs.
Tired eyes
Eyes that feel heavy, achy or worn out, often late in the day or after long stretches of close work.
What to note
- When it starts and how long it lasts
- Hours at a screen or reading that day
- How you slept the night before
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Tired eyes: the full pageEye strain
Discomfort, tension around the eyes or trouble keeping focus, commonly linked to long periods of screen use.
What to note
- Screen time and breaks taken
- Distance and height of your screen
- Whether it eases after a break or a night's sleep
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Eye strain: the full pageDry eyes
Gritty, burning or watery eyes. Air conditioning, screens, wind and contact lenses can all make them feel worse.
What to note
- Time of day it is worst
- Eye drops used and when
- Screen time, heating or air conditioning, contact lens wear
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Dry eyes: the full pageBlurry vision
Vision that is less sharp than usual, up close, far away or both. Blur that comes on suddenly needs urgent care.
What to note
- Near, far or both, and in one eye or both
- Whether blinking or a break clears it
- When you last had an eye test
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Blurry vision: the full pageHeadache
Headaches can come with long close work or screen use. Many things cause headaches, so the pattern is what is useful to record.
What to note
- Where it hurts and when it starts
- What you were doing before: reading, screens, driving
- Sleep, water and caffeine that day
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Headache: the full pageDouble vision
Seeing two of something. Double vision that comes on suddenly needs urgent care; double vision that comes and goes is worth recording carefully for your eye doctor.
What to note
- Side by side or one above the other
- Whether it goes away when you cover one eye
- Time of day and how tired you were
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Double vision: the full pageLight sensitivity
Finding normal light uncomfortable or needing to squint. Sensitivity with a painful red eye needs urgent care.
What to note
- Indoor light, sunlight or screens
- Whether it comes with pain, redness or headache
- How long it lasts
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Light sensitivity: the full pageScreen time
Not a symptom, but useful context. Logging hours at a screen next to how your eyes feel helps you and your eye doctor see patterns.
What to note
- Total hours and the longest stretch without a break
- Breaks taken
- Screen distance and lighting
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Screen time: the full pageSleep
Also context rather than a symptom. Short or poor sleep is a common thread on harder eye days, so it is worth noting.
What to note
- Bedtime and wake time
- How rested you felt
- Late screen use
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Sleep: the full pageEye drops
Recording which drops you use and when shows your eye doctor what you have already tried. Use drops as your pharmacist or clinician advises.
What to note
- Name of the drops
- Time and how often
- How your eyes felt afterwards
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Eye drops: the full pageRed eye
Redness in the white of the eye. Many red eyes are minor, but a painful red eye, or one with changes in vision, needs urgent care.
What to note
- One eye or both
- Pain, discharge or light sensitivity
- A photo taken the same way each day
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Red eye: the full pageEye twitching
A flicker or twitch of the eyelid. It is usually harmless and often settles on its own, but a twitch that spreads or does not go away is worth showing a doctor.
What to note
- Which eyelid and how often
- Sleep, stress and caffeine
- How many days it has lasted
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Eye twitching: the full pageDrooping eyelid
An eyelid that sits lower than usual. A suddenly drooping eyelid needs urgent care; a slow change is worth recording with photos.
What to note
- When you first noticed it
- Whether it changes during the day
- Photos taken the same way each time
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Drooping eyelid: the full pageLog it in 20 seconds a day
Start tracking for freeTap how your eyes feel, add sleep, screen time, drops or a photo, and share one clear page with your eye doctor. Free to start.
Information, not medical adviceOcufuse is a journal. It isn't intended to diagnose, treat or monitor any condition. Talk to your eye care professional about your own eyes.
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