10 Symptoms of Eye Cancer

There are many kinds of cancer which can affect the eye. The most common ones are lymphoma, eye melanoma, retinoblastoma (which is a childhood cancer), and squamous cell carcinoma. At times, eye cancer can develop in the tissues that surround the eyeball. It may even spread from the eyes to the different parts of the body. The symptoms of eye cancer are quite easy to identify unlike other types of cancer. Although, some are obscure and without symptoms. This is why it’s very important to have regular eye examinations.

Vision Blur

When you experience blurring of your vision, it could be for a variety of reasons. If it’s temporary, you may ignore it, or you can blame your glasses if you use them. If the blurring of your vision happens you will have to get your eyes checked. It may be a symptom of eye cancer. This is one of the most common symptoms, so it is best to have to have your eyes checked immediately.

Spots or Flashes in the Field of Vision

One of the common symptoms of eye cancer is when you start seeing spots, flashes, wiggly lines or floating points. However, this symptom may be a sign of a variety of illnesses aside from eye cancer. Sometimes it means nothing, especially when infrequent. Your eyes may just be tired. This happens when you do some eye straining activities like reading for a long period. Also, too much electronic device exposure is the main cause of eye strain.

Partial or Full Loss of Sight

You may start to experience partial or full loss of your sight, whether temporarily or permanently. This is a major symptom of eye cancer. You might experience the loss of peripheral vision or start experiencing tunnel vision. This happens when you see things as if you were in a tunnel. Whether you’ve lost only part of your site or all, it this is one of the scarier symptoms. It may signal a more advanced stage of cancer and would mean that you should go to the eye doctor.

Pain Around or In the Eye

This symptom is not very common in most types of eye cancers. If there is a tumor in the eye, then it will exert pressure on the other parts. As a result, there may be some level of pain around or in the actual eye. This usually happens when cancer affects the nerves, adnexal structures or different parts of the eye.

Bulging of the Eye

This is probably one of those symptoms which would cause you to rush to the eye clinic immediately. This symptom is more commonly seen in children who have retinoblastoma. Typically, only the affected eye would be bulging and not the other one, unless of course both eyes get affected. This symptom is one of the more noticeable symptoms which is easily identified. On noticing that a child’s eye or eyes are bulging, immediately have them checked.

Change in the Appearance of the Eye

By now you already know what your eye looks like. Also, you’d most likely notice if there are any changes in their appearance. The changes can be as simple as a discoloration of the whites or misalignment, or even new spots or growth. These the are most drastic changes that one can imagine.

A New Spot in the Eye

As you are probably seeing your eyes each day, you would most likely notice if any new spot appears on it. When you see a spot over your eye, or you have a mole which has increased in size or changed in appearance, then it’s clear that something is wrong. Make sure to check your eyes on a regular basis. These spots or changes could be a symptom of a serious disease such as eye cancer or something equally severe.

A Lump on the Eyelid or in the Eye

You should always keep checking your eyes to see if they are well. When you suddenly notice any growth – such as a lump on your eyelid or on your eye itself, you should have it checked. This is especially true if the lump is gradually increasing in size – but don’t wait for that to happen! As soon as you notice any growth or irregularity, have your eyes checked to find out what is wrong.

Excessive Tearing or Bloody Tears

If you know what’s causing you teary eyes, such as allergies or tiredness, then you don’t have to be alarmed. But if you experience excessive tearing of eyes or worse as bloody tears, then you should have your eyes checked. This could be a symptom of eye cancer or other more serious illnesses related to your eyes.

Loss of Eyelashes or a Sty Which Doesn’t Heal

If you notice that a lot of your eyelashes are falling off, it may be a cause for concern. Not only that, you may have noticed a sty on your eyelid which doesn’t seem to heal. A sty should heal in less than a month so if it doesn’t go away or it is increasing in size, this could be a sign of hidden cancer.