What is Blurry Vision?
Blurry vision is one of the most common complaints across various age groups which can present gradually or suddenly. Typically, blurred vision refers to a decrease in sharpness or clarity that has developed gradually.
Most commonly, blurry vision is due to imperfect focusing of light rays onto the retina, which is known as refractive error. This refractive error can present as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. In this case, the blurry vision is due to an uncorrected prescription which prevents proper focusing for distance and/or near objects.
This common cause of blurry vision can be remedied with simple eyeglasses. One also gradually loses the ability to focus at near with advancing age and may need to begin wearing eyeglasses when none were previously needed. To determine if your prescription is correct, or if you could improve your vision with an updated prescription, consult your eyecare professional.
However, blurry vision can occur from a number of sources. It could be due to a disorder affecting the retina, a clouding of normally transparent eye structures such as the cornea, or a disorder affecting the visual pathway of nerve that carries visual signals from the eye to the brain, such as the optic nerve. Often, these disorders are accompanied by other symptoms that prompt patients to seek medical attention, such as pain or redness. In some cases, blurry vision can indicate more serious conditions such as diabetes or macular degeneration.
If you experience the following symptoms alongside blurry vision, you should consult an emergency optometrist immediately:
- Sudden change in vision
- Severely reduced vision, especially in only one eye
- Eye pain with or without movement
- Loss of a specific area in the field of vision
- Floaters, Flashes and/or Curtain coming down on your vision
- Red Eye with or without pain
If you are experiencing blurry vision with no severe warning signs, please schedule an appointment with our optometrists for answers.
