If you wear glasses, you're likely in the habit of visiting your eye doctor every year or two to see if you need to get your prescription changed and ensure that your eyes are healthy. While it's important not to miss these appointments, it's also valuable to know that you shouldn't hesitate to schedule another appointment right away if you're concerned about something that is happening with one or both eyes. Failing to have your eye-care professional look at an eye issue you're experiencing in a timely manner can lead to further complications that can be uncomfortable and even jeopardize your eye health. Here are three signs that should prompt you to schedule a visit right away.

Pain Around The Eyes

While your eyes can occasionally feel tired and even sore at the end of a long day of staring at a computer screen, you should be concerned if you're experiencing sharp pain anywhere around the eyes. This symptom can indicate that you have an eye infection. While anyone can experience this issue, it can often be more prevalent if you wear contact lenses and your fingers have been in contact with your eyes without being clean. Your eye doctor will not only check your sore eyes to determine the exact cause of your discomfort, but will also provide you with a prescription that will help to clear up the infection.

Presence Of "Floaters"

Floaters is the term given to foreign bodies that appear in your line of sight. They can appear to be small blotches, but unlike when something actually gets on the surface of your eye, they don't go away through repeated blinking. Floaters are a concern because they can be symptomatic of a detached retina; this issue can occur for a wide range of reasons, but is often the byproduct of being hit in the eye. The appearance of bright lights, which are also a sign of a detached retina, can accompany the floaters.

Noticeable Blood Vessels

If you're able to see that the blood vessels on the white part of your eyes have become noticeably swollen, it's often a sign that you're dealing with allergies. While your family doctor will be able to recommend an allergy specialist, it's useful to start your medical care with the trip to the eye doctor. He or she will be able to evaluate your eyes to ensure there's nothing else going on with your vision.

For more information about eye conditions to watch out for, contact a company like Baldwin Optical & Hearing Aid Co.