If you are having cataract surgery, you may choose a monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) to replace your cloudy natural lens. A monofocal lens is designed to give you clear vision at one main distance, most commonly for activities such as walking outdoors, watching television and seeing road signs. You may also have your lens targeted for near vision or choose monovision, where one eye is focused slightly differently from the other. If your monofocal lens is focused for distance, you

You may use decongestants for a blocked nose caused by a cold, flu, sinus problem or allergy, and most people do not develop significant eye problems. However, some decongestants can dilate your pupils and, if your drainage angles are unusually narrow, may rarely trigger a sudden rise in eye pressure. You should know that acute angle-closure glaucoma is an eye emergency that can threaten your sight without prompt treatment. If you have glaucoma or have been told that your drainage

You may notice blurred vision, double vision, hallucinations or other visual changes while taking Parkinson’s medication. You should know that Parkinson’s itself can also affect your eyes, so a new symptom is not always caused by your medicine. Parkinson’s itself can contribute to dry eyes, reduced blinking and difficulty focusing, while medicines such as amantadine and some anticholinergics can cause additional or more specific eye problems. You should discuss persistent or unusual changes with your doctor, and seek prompt eye

You may notice blurred vision or double vision while taking epilepsy medication, particularly when starting treatment, increasing the dose or combining medicines. These effects may be temporary or dose-related, but some medicines can cause more serious eye problems. You should seek urgent help for sudden vision loss, severe eye pain or rapidly worsening sight. You should not stop your epilepsy medication suddenly without medical advice, as this can trigger seizures. How Can Epilepsy Medicines Affect Your Vision? Epilepsy medicines can

You may rarely develop eye inflammation while taking bisphosphonates, although most people do not experience significant eye problems. You may develop conditions such as uveitis, scleritis or episcleritis, which can cause redness, pain, sensitivity to light or changes in your vision. You should tell your doctor if you notice new eye symptoms after starting a bisphosphonate, particularly after an intravenous medicine such as zoledronic acid. Your eye specialist can assess whether your symptoms are related to the medicine or another

If you are having immunotherapy and notice blurred vision, redness, eye pain or double vision, it is understandable to wonder whether your cancer treatment could be responsible. Most people do not develop serious eye complications, but some forms of immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors, can occasionally trigger inflammation in the eyes or in the nerves and muscles involved in vision. Some of these problems can begin during treatment, while others may appear later. Because symptoms such as redness or blurred

If your vision has become blurred or different after starting an antibiotic, it is understandable to wonder whether the medicine could be responsible. The reassuring news is that serious eye problems are uncommon with most antibiotics, although a small number of medicines have recognised effects on the optic nerve or the pressure around the brain. The timing alone cannot tell you what is causing the change. An infection, dehydration, migraine, another medicine or an unrelated eye condition can also affect

If you're taking the contraceptive pill and have noticed dry, irritated eyes or changes in how comfortable your contact lenses feel, you may be wondering whether the two are connected. Hormones may influence the eye surface and tear film, but current research does not show a clear, consistent link between oral contraceptive use and dry eye disease, so other causes should also be considered. Most people do not develop serious eye problems from the pill. Combined hormonal contraception containing oestrogen

Blood-thinning medicines can make bleeding more likely or more noticeable if a small blood vessel in or around your eye becomes damaged. You may notice this with medicines such as warfarin, apixaban, rivaroxaban, aspirin or clopidogrel, although these medicines are usually prescribed to reduce your risk of serious blood clots, strokes and heart attacks. Blood thinners do not usually damage your eyes directly; instead, they can make bleeding more severe or last longer. If you take one, you should not

If you have noticed changes in your eyesight after starting a statin, you may naturally wonder whether your medication could be the reason. Statins are commonly prescribed to help protect your heart and lower cholesterol, but some people report symptoms such as blurred vision or changes in how clearly they see. In most cases, there can be several possible causes, so it is important to have persistent changes checked rather than assuming your statin is responsible. Research has explored links