Reasons Why You Have Poor Eyesight And How To Stop It

Other causes of sudden blurred vision

Eye Strain

Eye strain 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, video monitor, or cellphone, it’s sometimes called digital eye strain.

Other causes include reading and driving, especially at night and in poor weather.

Conjunctivitis

Also called pink eye, conjunctivitis is an infection of the outside lining of your eye. It’s usually caused by a virus but can also be caused by bacteria.

Corneal Abrasion

Your cornea is the clear covering on the front of your eye. When it gets scratched or injured, you may develop a corneal abrasion.

In addition to blurry vision, you may feel like there’s something in your eye.

High Blood Sugar

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

Hyphema

Dark red blood that pools inside the front of your eyeball is called a hyphema. It’s caused by bleeding that occurs after sustaining trauma to your eye.

It can become painful if it increases the pressure inside your eye.

Iritis

The iris is the colored part of your eye. Iritis occurs when an autoimmune reaction causes the iris to become inflamed.

It can occur by itself or as part of an autoimmune condition such as rheumatoid arthritis or sarcoidosis. It can also be caused by infections like herpes and is often very painful.

Keratitis

Inflammation of the cornea is called keratitis. It’s usually caused by an infection. Using one pair of contacts for too long or reusing dirty contacts increases your risk for this.

Macular Hole

The macula is the center of your retina that helps sharpen your vision. It can develop a tear or break that causes blurry vision. It usually only affects one eye.

Migraine With Aura

Often migraine attacks are preceded by an aura, which can cause blurred vision. You may also see wavy lines or flashing lights and have other sensory disturbances.

Sometimes you may have an aura without having a headache.

Optic Neuritis

The optic nerve connects your eye and your brain. Inflammation of the optic nerve is called optic neuritis.

It’s usually caused by an autoimmune reaction or early multiple sclerosis. Other causes are autoimmune conditions such as lupus or an infection. Most often, it affects only one eye.

Temporal Arteritis

Inflammation in the arteries around your temples is called temporal arteritis.

Its main symptom is a throbbing headache in your forehead, but it can also cause your vision to be blurred and, eventually, lost.

Uveitis

The uvea is the area in the middle of your eye that contains the iris. An infection or autoimmune reaction can cause it to become inflamed and painful, which is called uveitis.

Treatment will depend on the condition affecting your vision

• Detached/torn retina. This requires emergency surgical repair to avoid irreversible vision loss.

• Stroke. Prompt and appropriate treatment for the type of stroke you’re having is critical to prevent the death of your brain cells.

• Transient ischemic attack. The symptoms resolve within 24 hours on their own. You may be given blood thinners to reduce the risk of a stroke in the future.

• Wet macular degeneration. Medications injected into the eye may help improve vision. Treatment with laser photocoagulation can slow vision loss but can’t restore your vision. Special vision-enhancing devices are sometimes used to help you see better.

• Eye strain. If you have eye strain, take a break and rest your eyes. One thing you can do to prevent it is follow the 20-20-20 rule. To do this, focus on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes when you’re looking at a screen or one thing for a long time.

• Conjunctivitis. This usually goes away on its own but often antibiotics or antiviral medication can speed recovery and lower the chance it will spread.

• Corneal abrasion. This typically heals on its own in a few days. Antibiotics can treat or prevent an infection.

• High blood sugar. Lowering blood sugar solves the problem.

• Hyphema. When there are no other injuries and your eye pressure isn’t increased, bed rest and an eye patch should help. If it’s more severe and the pressure is very high, your ophthalmologist may remove the blood surgically.

• Iritis. This usually heals completely on its own or with steroids. However, it commonly reoccurs. If it becomes chronic and resistant to treatment, you can lose your vision.

• Keratitis. When caused by an infection, keratitis is treated with antibiotic drops. For a severe infection, oral antibiotics and steroid eye drops may be used.

• Macular hole. If it doesn’t heal on its own, surgical repair of the hole is usually done.

• Migraine with aura. An aura doesn’t need treatment, but it’s a signal that you should take your usual medication for your migraine.

• Optic neuritis. This is managed by treating the underlying condition.

• Temporal arteritis. This is treated with long-term steroids. Treatment is important to avoid permanent vision problems.

• Uveitis. Like iritis, it resolves spontaneously or with steroids. Repeated recurrence can lead to treatment resistance and, potentially, blindness.