Blurred Vision: The Ultimate Guide

blurred vision

Did you lose sharpness in your eyesight?

Did your vision become hazy and out-of-focus – whether for a moment, off and on, or for a prolonged period of time?

Let’s get to the bottom of what’s going on right away.

Vision is our dominant sense. Through vision, we are able to derive meaning and learn from what we see. We heavily rely on our eyes, and that’s why blurry and unclear vision is so alarming to experience.

 

Cloudy Vision vs Blurry Vision: What’s the Difference?

Blurry vision is the loss of sharpness of eyesight. With blurred vision, objects will appear out-of-focus and fuzzy.

Cloudy vision is where objects can appear obscured from looking through a seemingly ‘milky’ lens. Cloudy vision is most commonly a symptom of cataracts.

While the two are frequently used interchangeably, they are slightly different conditions. It’s important to note that blurred and cloudy vision can both be symptoms of a serious vision issue.

Regardless if you have blurry or cloudy vision, your eye doctor can determine exactly what’s going on through a comprehensive eye exam.

If you’re experiencing sudden, persistent blurry or cloudy vision, call us at iCare Vision immediately.

740-392-4000

 

Symptoms of Blurred Vision

“I am always amazed at the number of people who come in and have just accepted their blurred vision because they’ve had it for so long. They don’t even complain about it to the doctor, and this can go more than 20 years. We can help you reclaim clear, healthy vision.”​Dr. Wineland
  • Loss of visual sharpness
  • Unclear vision
  • Unfocused vision
  • Dim vision
  • Hazy vision
  • Fuzzy-ghosty vision

Blurred vision can happen in one or both eyes, and it can affect your entire line of sight or just parts of your vision in the affected eye(s) – such as your peripheral vision, which is what you see beside you when looking straight ahead.

 

What Causes Blurred Vision?

The main cause of blurred vision is refractive errors – where the shape of your eye does not bend light correctly – or presbyopia – a gradual, age-related condition where the eyes lose the ability to focus on nearby objects.

But your temporary or sudden blurred vision could also stem from a non-eye condition.

 

Eye Anatomy & Blurred Vision

From the front to the back of the eye and into the brain, the eye contains over two million working parts and is considered the second most complex organ in the body (only second to the brain).

The inner structures of the eye all work together to produce an image that your brain can understand. In order to produce a clear image, the eyes must complete an intricate process with all parts healthy and fully functioning.

Your eyes deserve the best, and your future vision depends on how you treat and nurture it today. Let us help you take the best care of your eyes.

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When it comes to the anatomy of the eye, here’s what can cause blurred vision:

Tears

If the three layers of a tear – oil, water (H2O2), and lipid (fatty) – are not balanced, they can be abnormal and become an almost film-like tear that can cause blurred vision. This may be due to dry eye. After assessing hdry eye and tear production, there are a multitude of solutions we can use to rebuild the delicate yet complicated surface.

Cornea

If the surface is irregular, a condition called corneal dystrophy may be present and cause blurred vision. There are more than 20 types of corneal dystrophies, each with different symptoms. All cause a buildup of foreign material in one or more layers of the cornea. Over time, vision may become cloudy or blurry.

Corneal Abrasion

When the cornea gets scratched or injured, a corneal abrasion may develop. In addition to blurry vision, you may feel like there’s something in your eye.

Conjunctival

The conjunctiva is the clear, thin membrane that covers part of the front surface of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids. If irritated from allergies or another irritant, conjunctival tissues may cause blurred vision.

Eye Lids

If the eye lids are not even and normal, like a good “windshield wiper,” this can blur vision. A stye and lid bumps can make this worse and more painful.

Aqueous Fluid

Aqueous fluid behind the cornea must be clear and clean of inflammation. It’s common to get an iritis, which is where thousands of white blood cells flood this area and cause blurred vision, pain, and redness. This all can be greatly helped with medication and a diagnosis by an eye doctor.

Lens

The lens of the eye can become defective and not focus (causing blurred vision) at young age, or with the aging of the eyes it can stop working with presbyopia. In later years, the lens can be the area that gets cloudy in a cataract.

 

Common Causes of Blurred Vision

Your eyes are stained.

With today’s digital-driven lifestyles, eye strain is incredibly common. But it doesn’t always have to involve digital devices (cell phone, computer, TVs). It can occur after looking at and focusing on something for a long time without a break.

When it’s the result of focusing on an electronic device like a computer or cellphone, it’s sometimes called digital eye strain. Other causes include reading and driving, especially at night and in poor weather.

Your blood sugar is high.

Very high blood sugar levels cause the lens of your eye to swell, which results in blurred vision.

You caught conjunctivitis.

Conjunctivitis, also known as pinkeye, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva – the thin, clear tissue on top of the white part of the eye and the lining of the inside eyelid.

While common among children, adults can catch this highly contagious virus. Pink eye usually will subside in one to two weeks without treatment, but, in the meantime, it is known to cause spurts of temporary blurred vision.

If you feel you have a severe case of pink eye, schedule an appointment to see your optometrist.

You slept with your contacts in.

When you blink, your contact lenses move across your eyes, causing micro-scratches on the surface of your eyes. Sometimes, infection-causing microorganisms can get caught under the lenses and get into these small scratches. When you sleep with your contacts in, you are allowing these organisms to grow and cause corneal ulcers that can lead to blurred vision.

A very simple solution? Remove your contact lenses every night before you fall asleep.

You're pregnant.

During pregnancy, your body undergoes several hormonal changes. These fluctuations can alter the shape and thickness of your cornea and tear production which can lead to blurred and variable comfort.

Blurry vision is common during pregnancy, and it can sometimes be accompanied by bouts of double vision.

Even though blurred vision is usually not threatening to your sight or health, you should always communicate any vision issues to your doctor, as, in some cases, blurred vision could be a symptom of gestational diabetes or high blood pressure. Some patients just need to wear their glasses more and take a mini vacation on their contact usage.

You have chronic dry eyes.

Did you know that blurred and/or fluctuating vision is a cause of dry eye syndrome? In addition to the irritated, gritty, scratchy or burning eyes you feel, your vision can seem out-of-focus.

You can reclaim comfortable, clear vision with dry eyes, but sometimes it takes more than artificial tears to achieve this.

After assessing your vision, your optometrist can prescribe prescription eye drops to keep your eyes lubricated and healthy.

You suffer from ocular migraines.

An ocular migraine (retinal migraine) is a rare condition that can cause short-term vision loss or blurred vision,missing vision, kaleidoscope vision, among other possible bizarre visual symptoms, before the migraine pain sets in, or during the migraine period.

An in-depth eye exam by an optometrist will be able to fully assess your eye health and identify any vision issues you may be contending with. Upon completion of the exam, you will receive a definitive treatment plan to address your specific eye condition that will aim to prevent future migraine episodes and temporary blurred vision.

You're diabetic.

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes can cause blurred vision if it is uncontrolled. The biggest concern with diabetes and your vision is diabetes can cause diabetic retinopathy – a serious eye disease caused by diabetes that is a leading cause of vision impairment and blindness.

Diabetic retinopathy has been dubbed a sneak thief of vision, as you can tragically lose your vision from diabetes without even knowing you have diabetes.

If you have or suspect you have diabetes, make regular eye exams apart of your round of routine checkups.

You have high blood pressure.

High blood pressure can cause vein occlusion, a painless, mini stroke of the eye. Vein occlusion can cause patients with HBP to experience blurred vision – usually in just one eye.

If you live with HBP and are experiencing blurred vision, see your optometrist right away. While this condition can be treated, diagnosis and treatment must be administered right away for the most effectiveness.

Regular eye exams – which can protect against vein occlusion – should be a part of any individual’s round of routine checkups if they live with high blood pressure. There is also a higher risk of glaucoma problems in the eye because of higher than normal pressures in the body.

You need prescription or reading glasses.

As previously noted, refractive errors – such as nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism – are the most common causes of blurry vision.

More times than not, refractive errors are fairly easy to fix with a prescription from your optometrist. This includes getting an updated prescription or reading glasses. Each refractive error is discussed in more detail below.

A comprehensive healthy eye exam will uncover exactly where your vision is at and what prescription is right for you. Let us help you best support your vision.

  Schedule Healthy Eye Exam  

Development of an Eye Condition

Experiencing blurred vision can also be a symptom of a developing eye condition. If you’re experiencing blurred vision and none of the common causes of blurred vision fit your situation, a comprehensive eye exam may uncover that:

You're nearsighted.

Myopia – also known as nearsightedness – is the most common refractive error. With nearsightedness, objects in the distance become blurred, and you could be experiencing blurry vision in one or both eyes. Accompanying symptoms to nearsightedness are eye strain, headaches, and squinting.

You're farsighted.

If you can clearly see objects in the distance but objects close-up appear blurry, you could be developing hyperopia, or farsightedness. Accompanying symptoms to farsightedness include eye strain and fatigue from trying to constantly focus on objects right in front of you.

You have astigmatism.

Struggling to see at near and far distances is a sign of an astigmatism – a refractive error that is caused by an irregularly shaped cornea.

Blurred vision with an astigmatism is caused by light rays failing to meet on a single focus point on the retina. Without a single focus point, clear vision cannot be produced at any distance.

Regardless if you are nearsighted, farsighted or have an astigmatism, these refractive errors can be corrected with an eyeglass or contact lens prescription or refractive surgery, such as LASIK.

You have presbyopia.

Most commonly occurring in individuals aged 40 and older, presbyopia is a naturally occurring age-related condition where blurry vision begins to develop when reading or viewing objects up-close.

Since the lenses inside the eye begin to harden with presbyopia, progressive lenses, bifocals, reading glasses or presbyopia surgery are all viable options to correct this condition.

You have eye floaters.

An eye floater is a spot in your vision that may appear as black or gray specks, black or gray strings, or cobwebs.

When these temporary spots drift into your line of sight, you can experience blurred vision.

While eye floaters are a normal part of aging, you should call your optometrist immediately if you suddenly experience a shower of floaters, as this could be a sign of a torn or detached retina. Visual exam for best outcome needs to occur within 24-48 hours that is why most offices have after hours emergency phone service.

You're developing glaucoma.

Glaucoma, also known as the silent thief of sight, is a disease that damages the optic nerve, causing the optic nerve to slowly die over time. Vision loss with glaucoma is a slow process, and, for the most part, there are no obvious symptoms.

This is why an annual eye exam is so crucial – to catch diseases like glaucoma before they permanently claim your vision.

When signs do present themselves, blurred vision can be a symptom of glaucoma. To err on the side of caution, be sure to schedule an eye exam.

 

When Blurred Vision is an Emergency

If you’re currently experiencing sudden blurred vision, or you contend with temporary blurred vision from time to time, the good news is that most causes don’t threaten your eyesight.

Blurred vision, however, can be a sign of a serious vision and/or health issue. For this reason, you should call iCare Vision or go to the emergency room as soon as possible if you experience any of the following:

  • Sudden changes in your vision, such as blurriness, that don’t subside after closing your eyes or blinking a few times
  • Persistent pain in one or both eyes
  • No vision in one or both eyes, or in a specific area of an eye

If you feel your blurred vision is non-threatening, it’s still important to schedule a comprehensive eye exam soon to ensure your eyes are healthy and you’re seeing clearly.

  Schedule Healthy Eye Exam

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