Causes of Blurred Vision: Most Common Causes and How They are Treated

Causes of Blurred Vision: Most Common Causes and How They are Treated
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Blurry vision is a type of visual disturbance indicating that something is going on with the eye, or eyes. In some cases, the cause is not serious, but some causes of blurred vision are serious. Every time a patient is experiencing blurred vision, they should have it evaluated by a doctor. In some cases, eye blurriness is directly associated with the eye, while in others, the blurriness is secondary to a condition unrelated to the eye.

Cataracts

Cataracts are a common condition characterized by the eye’s lens having an opaque or cloudy area on it. Some

patients will not be too impacted until their cataract advances, while other patients immediately have symptoms that affect their vision. The symptoms include:

  • Blurred, clouded, or dim vision
  • Sensitivity to glare and light
  • Having to change corrective lens prescription frequently
  • Gradual difficulty with seeing at night
  • Seeing “halos” around lights
  • Yellowing or fading of colors
  • Double vision in one eye

The only way to effectively treat this condition is surgery. Surgery is often recommended with cataracts begin to have a negative impact on the patient’s quality of life.

Presbyopia

One of the most common causes of blurred vision is presbyopia. This condition occurs when the eyes gradually lose their ability to actively focus on objects that are nearby. It typically begins around 40 years of age and gradually progresses until around 60 years of age. Symptoms can include:

  • Blurry vision when reading something at a normal distance
  • Headaches or eyestrain after reading something close

Using corrective lenses typically helps patients see well and completely reduces the blurriness. Less commonly used treatment methods include refractive surgery and lens implants.

Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma

This type of glaucoma is characterized by by a sudden or rapid increase in intraocular pressure, or pressure inside the eye. Vision loss and optic nerve damage can occur unless immediate treatment is sought. Symptoms can include:

  • Severe eye pain
  • Sudden onset of visual disturbance, most often occurring in low light
  • Halos around lights
  • Nausea and vomiting along with the severe pain in the eye
  • Blurred vision
  • Reddening of the eye

Surgery or laser therapy is necessary to treat this condition, and treatment must be administered quickly after onset. Several medications are also often used to help lower intraocular pressure as much and as quickly as possible. When this condition is diagnosed and treated early and quickly, the prognosis is favorable for most patients with this condition.

Resources

MedlinePlus. (2010). Vision Problems. Retrieved on August 23, 2010 from MedlinePlus: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003029.htm

United Project Healthcare Support Network. (2010). Causes of Blurred Vision. Retrieved on August 23, 2010 from the United Project Healthcare Support Network: https://www.unitedproject.org/story/1614/

Image Credits

Eye: gocke – sxc.hu