Home Patients & Public Warning signs and frequently asked questions
Warning signs and frequently asked questions
When to get help, and answers to common questions
Same-day care
Sudden vision loss in one eye needs same-day care.
Call an eye doctor or go to the emergency department.
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When to get help
| If you notice… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Sudden vision loss or dimming in one or both eyes, a dark shadow or missing part of your vision, even if painless | Same-day care. Call an eye doctor right away. If you can’t reach one, go to the emergency department. |
| Sudden vision loss and you are over 50 with a new headache, jaw pain when chewing, scalp tenderness, fever, or unexplained weight loss | Emergency department now. These can be signs of giant cell arteritis. |
| Sudden vision loss with weakness, numbness, face drooping, or trouble speaking | Call 911. These can be signs of a stroke. |
| Sudden eye pain with a red eye, halos around lights, headache, or nausea | Emergency care. This can be angle-closure glaucoma. |
| Vision loss after a head or face injury | Emergency care. See traumatic optic neuropathy. |
| Blurred vision with pain when moving the eye, or colors looking faded | Same-day eye exam. See optic neuritis. |
| Headaches with brief graying-out of vision or a whooshing sound in your ears | Prompt eye exam, within days. See papilledema and IIH. |
| Slow, gradual change in vision over weeks or months | Make an appointment soon. Don’t wait for your next routine visit. |
Frequently asked questions
I take a GLP-1 medicine. Should I stop it because of the eye warning?
No, not on your own. Talk with the doctor who prescribes it. In November 2026, the FDA added a potential increased risk of NAION to the labels of all GLP-1 medicines, and still describes NAION as rare.¹ For many people the benefits outweigh this small potential risk. If you have sudden vision loss, get same-day care and tell your prescriber. See GLP-1 medicines and your eyes.
How rare is NAION?
NAION is uncommon. See Understanding the numbers for what the studies found, explained in plain language.
Do I need an eye exam if I’m starting a GLP-1 medicine?
Professional groups differ. AAO and NANOS do not recommend an exam only to predict NAION.² The AOA recommends a comprehensive dilated eye exam within 12 months before starting a GLP-1 medicine, or a baseline exam within 1 month after starting, especially for people with diabetes or macular degeneration.³ People with diabetes should already have regular dilated eye exams, and the AAO recommends closer retina monitoring early in treatment for some people with diabetes.⁴ Dr. Deom recommends an exam for everyone (see below).
Can an eye exam prevent NAION?
No test can reliably predict or prevent NAION. An exam can show whether you have a crowded optic nerve or other eye conditions, and it creates a baseline to compare against if anything changes.
Is vision loss from NAION permanent?
Often some vision loss remains, and there is no proven treatment.⁵ Some people improve partly. That is why same-day care and checking for other causes, like giant cell arteritis, matter.
What should I tell my doctors?
Tell your eye doctor about every medicine you take, including GLP-1 medicines, blood pressure medicines, and when you take them. Tell your prescriber if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, especially in the morning or when standing up. If you have been told you snore heavily or stop breathing at night, ask about sleep apnea testing.
Do I need someone to drive me to my exam?
If your eyes will be dilated, your vision may be blurry and sensitive to light for several hours.⁶ Bring sunglasses, and consider bringing a driver. See What to expect at an eye exam.
Dr. Deom’s recommendation (clinical opinion / practice recommendation)
Dr. James Deom recommends that everyone starting or taking a GLP-1 medication have a comprehensive dilated eye exam with OCT, OCT angiography (OCTA), and retinal photography (fundus photos with autofluorescence) as a baseline and for follow-up, and seek same-day care for sudden vision loss.
This is his clinical opinion, not a formal rule from every professional group. AAO and NANOS do not recommend an eye exam only to predict NAION, and no test can reliably predict or prevent it. Dr. Deom recommends the baseline so there is a record to compare against if anything changes, and so other eye problems can be found early.
Dr. James Deom’s personal clinical thought
This is his opinion, not established evidence. It is not a finding from the studies or a position of the FDA, EMA, AAO, NANOS, or AOA.
As people lose weight and get healthier on GLP-1 medicines, their blood pressure and cholesterol medicines are often not reviewed or adjusted. Blood pressure treatment that is no longer matched to a person’s needs may lead to low blood pressure (hypotension). Low blood pressure can be more pronounced at night and could reduce blood flow to the optic nerve during sleep. That possibility would fit the typical way NAION presents: vision loss noticed on waking.
Dr. Deom recommends that people taking a GLP-1 medicine also work on exercise and diet, and keep regular visits with their usual doctors — even if that doctor did not prescribe the GLP-1 — so the rest of their care, including blood pressure, is maintained. Do not start, stop, or change a blood pressure or cholesterol medicine on your own; talk with the clinician who prescribes it.
How to reach us
Hazleton Eye Specialists: phone 570-453-2020, fax 570-453-1020. Addresses for all five offices (Hazleton, Stroudsburg, Nanticoke, Pottsville, and Bangor) are on Find an Eye Doctor.
Sudden vision loss needs same-day care. Call an eye doctor right away. If you also have a new headache, jaw pain when chewing, scalp tenderness, fever, or you are over 50 and feel unwell, go to the emergency department.
Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Requires Safety Labeling Changes for GLP-1 RAs Due to Potential Increased Risk of Rare But Serious Eye Condition. Nov 9, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-communications/fda-requires-safety-labeling-changes-glucagon-peptide-1-receptor-agonists-glp-1-ras-due-potential
- AAO and NANOS. GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and the Risk of NAION: A Consensus Statement. 2026. https://www.aao.org/education/clinical-statement/glucagon-like-peptide-1-receptor-agonists-risk-of-
- American Optometric Association. Clinical report: GLP-1 receptor agonists (Evidence-Based Optometry), June 2025. https://www.aoa.org/AOA/Documents/Practice%20Management/Clinical%20Guidelines/AOA%20GLP-1_EBO_clinical-report.pdf · Patient page: https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/glp-1-medications-and-your-vision
- American Academy of Ophthalmology. Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists and Diabetic Retinopathy. Nov 2026. https://www.aao.org/education/clinical-statement/glucagon-like-peptide-1-receptor-agonists-diabetic
- Biousse V, Newman NJ. Ischemic Optic Neuropathies. N Engl J Med. 2015;372(25):2428-2436.
- American Academy of Ophthalmology. What Is Optical Coherence Tomography? https://www.aao.org/eye-health/treatments/what-is-optical-coherence-tomography
Medical disclaimer. This page is for general education only. It is not medical advice and does not replace an examination or a conversation with your own doctors. Do not start, stop, or change any medicine without talking to the clinician who prescribes it. If you have sudden vision loss, seek same-day care from an eye doctor or an emergency department. Information is current as of the “last reviewed” date and may change as new research is published.