Why should I keep going to eye appointments if my sight loss cannot be cured?

Because regular review lets your team monitor your condition, protect the vision you have, and update your aids as needs change. Some causes can be treated or stabilised, and a low-vision assessment can improve how you function even where the condition is fixed. Do not assume nothing more can be done.

Can I stop my glaucoma eye drops if my sight is not improving?

No. Glaucoma drops lower eye pressure to protect the optic nerve and must be used every day as prescribed; missing them can let pressure rise and cause permanent, cumulative damage. Never stop or change them without your eye doctor’s advice. Reminders and a routine help you never miss a dose.

What sudden symptoms are an eye emergency?

A sudden loss of vision; a shower of new floaters, flashes or a dark curtain/shadow (possible retinal detachment); a painful red eye with blurred vision, halos, headache and nausea (possible acute glaucoma); and new distortion or a central blank patch (possible wet AMD). Seek urgent eye care the same day.

When should I call 995 for a vision problem?

Call 995 if sudden vision loss comes with any stroke signs, such as face drooping, arm weakness, or slurred or disturbed speech (remember FAST). A sudden painless loss of vision in one eye can be a blocked blood vessel or a stroke. Otherwise, seek urgent same-day eye care at a hospital eye emergency service.

How can I protect the vision I still have?

Keep your eye appointments, use prescribed eye drops exactly as directed, control your diabetes and blood pressure and attend diabetic eye screening, stop smoking, and protect your eyes from strong sunlight. These steps give your remaining sight the best chance, though they cannot undo existing damage.

Protecting Your Remaining Vision & When to Get Help

Written & reviewed by the BestDoctors.sg editorial team · Last updated 28 Aug 2026 · General information, not medical advice

Living with sight loss is not only about adapting; it is also about protecting the vision you still have and knowing when a change needs urgent help. Some steps, such as keeping up eye care and using prescribed drops, help preserve remaining sight, while a small number of sudden symptoms are emergencies. This is the most safety-critical guide in the series, because a new change may be a different, treatable problem, not simply your existing condition.

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In a medical emergency, or for severe or sudden symptoms such as breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting or stroke signs, call 995 immediately.

This is general information and does not replace your eye specialist’s advice. A new or sudden change in vision is an emergency even if you already have sight loss: seek urgent eye care the same day for a sudden loss of vision, new floaters or flashes, a dark curtain or shadow, or a painful red eye with halos and headache. Call 995 if it comes with face or arm weakness or slurred speech (a possible stroke).

Keep regular eye care

Attend all your scheduled eye appointments and low-vision follow-ups, and do not assume that nothing more can be done. Regular review lets your eye team monitor your condition, take steps to protect the vision you have, and update your magnifiers and aids as your needs change. Some causes of sight loss can be treated or stabilised, and even where the underlying condition is fixed, a low-vision assessment can improve how well you function. Staying in touch with your eye service is one of the best things you can do for your sight. Keeping a simple record of your appointments and any changes you notice makes each review more useful.

Take your eye medicines as prescribed

If you have been prescribed eye medicines, use them exactly as directed. For glaucoma, eye drops lower the pressure in the eye to protect the optic nerve, and they must be used every day at the prescribed time; missing them can let the pressure rise and cause permanent, cumulative damage to the nerve. Never stop or change glaucoma drops, or any prescribed eye treatment, without your eye doctor’s advice. Setting up reminders, a routine, or a drop-dispensing aid, as in our everyday skills guide, helps you never miss a dose.

Control diabetes and blood pressure

General health has a direct effect on your eyes. Good control of diabetes and blood pressure helps protect your vision and reduces the risk of diabetic retinopathy progressing, which is especially relevant in Singapore where diabetes is common. If you have diabetes, attend your diabetic eye (retinal) screening, because it detects changes early, when treatment best protects sight. Working with your family doctor and eye team on your overall health is part of protecting your remaining vision, not separate from it.

Lifestyle and smoking

A few lifestyle steps support eye health. Stopping smoking is one of the most important: smoking is a major, changeable risk factor for sight-threatening eye disease, including age-related macular degeneration, so quitting helps protect the vision you have. A healthy, balanced diet, staying active, and protecting your eyes from strong sunlight and glare with sunglasses are also generally advised. None of these can undo existing damage, but together they give your remaining sight the best chance.

The sudden-change red flags

This is the heart of the guide. A new or sudden change in vision is an emergency, even in someone who already has sight loss, because it may be a new and sometimes treatable problem. Act urgently, and do not assume it is just your known condition, for any of these: a sudden loss of vision, partial or complete, in one or both eyes; a sudden shower of new floaters, flashes of light, or a dark curtain or shadow spreading across your vision, which can mean a retinal detachment; a sudden painful red eye with blurred vision, halos around lights, headache and nausea, which can mean acute angle-closure glaucoma; and new distortion, where straight lines look wavy or a new blank patch appears in central vision, which can mean a wet AMD change that is time-critical to treat.

What to do, and the stroke warning

For all of these, seek urgent eye care the same day rather than waiting to see if it settles; in Singapore, go to a hospital eye emergency service. One situation needs the ambulance: a sudden painless loss of vision in one eye can be a blocked blood vessel or, if it comes with any stroke signs, such as face drooping, arm weakness, or slurred or disturbed speech (remember the word FAST), a stroke. In that case call 995 immediately. Our sudden vision loss guide covers these causes. The clear message is simple: a sudden change is not something to adapt around; get urgent help the same day, because acting quickly is often what saves your remaining sight from further, preventable damage.

Sources

NHS – Vision loss: nhs.uk
NHS – Detached retina: nhs.uk
NHS – Floaters and flashes in the eyes: nhs.uk
NHS – Stroke: nhs.uk
American Academy of Ophthalmology – Detached and torn retina: aao.org

General information only. This guide supports, but does not replace, the advice of your eye-care and low-vision team. Keep your regular eye appointments, and use any prescribed eye drops (such as for glaucoma) as directed. A new or sudden change in your vision is an emergency, even if you already have sight loss: get urgent eye care the same day for a sudden loss of vision, a shower of new floaters or flashes, a dark curtain or shadow across your sight, or a painful red eye with halos and headache. Call 995 if sudden vision loss comes with face or arm weakness or slurred speech (a possible stroke). If you are struggling emotionally, you are not alone: the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) are on 1767 and mindline.sg on 1771.

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Protecting Your Remaining Vision & When to Get Help (Singapore)