Reasons Why You Have Poor Eyesight And How To Stop It
Blurry vision is the loss of sharpness of eyesight, making objects appear out of focus and hazy.
Blurred vision can affect both eyes, but some people experience blurry vision in one eye only.
Cloudy vision, where objects are obscured and appear “milky,” is very similar to blurry vision. Cloudy vision usually is a symptom of specific conditions such as cataracts.
Blurry vision and cloudy vision both can be symptoms of a serious eye problem, especially if they occur suddenly.
To determine whether you have blurry vision and what is causing it, see an eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam.
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Reasons Why You May Have Poor Vision
Some causes of sudden blurry vision are medical emergencies that must be treated as soon as possible to prevent permanent damage and vision loss.
Detached Retina
A detached retina occurs when your retina tears away from the back of your eye and loses its blood and nerve supply.
When it happens, you see black flecks followed by an area of blurred or absent vision. Without emergency treatment, vision in that area may be permanently lost.
Stroke
Blurry or lost vision in both eyes can occur when you have a stroke affecting the part of your brain that controls vision. A stroke involving your eye causes blurred or lost vision in only one eye.
You may have other symptoms of a stroke, such as weakness on one side of your body or the inability to speak.
Transient Ischemic Attack
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a stroke that lasts less than 24 hours. One of its symptoms can be blurred vision in one or both eyes.
Wet Macular Degeneration
The center of your retina is called the macula. When blood and other fluid leak into the macula, it’s called wet macular degeneration.
It causes blurriness and vision loss in the center part of your visual field. Unlike dry macular degeneration, this type can begin suddenly and progress rapidly.
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.
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