1. Vision difficulty (decreased acuity, blurring, blind spots). Any difficulty seeing or any blurring Come on suddenly, or progress slowly? In one eye or both?
* Constant, or does it come and go?
* Do objects appear out of focus, or does it feel like a clouding over objects? Does it feel like “grayness” of vision?
* Do spots move in front of your eyes? One or many? In one or both eyes?
Rationale: Floaters are common with myopia or after middle age owing to condensed vitreous fibers. Usually they are not significant. Acute onset of floaters (“shade” or “cobwebs”) may occur with retinal detachment.
* Any halos/rainbows around objects? Or rings around lights?
Rationale: Halos around lights occur with acute narrow-angle glaucoma.
* Any blind spot? Does it move as you shift your gaze? Any loss of peripheral vision?
Rationale: Scotoma is a blind spot in the visual field surrounded by an area of normal or decreased vision. This occurs with glaucoma with optic nerve and visual pathway disorders.
* Any night blindness?
Rationale: Night blindness occurs with optic atrophy, glaucoma, or vitamin A deficiency.
2. Pain. Any eye pain? Please describe.
* Come on suddenly
Rationale: Note: Consider sudden onset of eye symptoms or vision change (pain, floaters, blind spot, loss of peripheral vision) as a possible emergency. Refer immediately.
* Quality – a burning or itching?
Rationale: Quality may be valuable diagnostic indicator.
* Or sharp, stabbing pain or pain with bright light?
Rationale: Photophobia is the inability to tolerate light.
* A foreign body sensation? Or deep aching? Or headache in brow area?
Rationale: (Note: some common eye diseases cause to pain, e.g., refractive errors, cataract, glaucoma)
