8 Common Causes of Blurry Vision

Blurry, unclear, unfocused vision is a common eyesight problem. If you're wondering what's causing your blurry vision, causes range from needing an update to a glasses or contact prescription to having pink eye.

Fuzzy vision can also signal something more serious, such as a concussion, glaucoma, or high blood pressure. Here are eight possible causes of blurry vision and treatment options.

1. Refractive Error

Refractive errors are indicators of problems with eyes and how they take in light. The eye curve gets in the way of light focusing directly on the retina. The retina processes light rays into signals the brain can read.

Common refractive errors that cause blurry vision include:

• Myopia: Nearsightedness, or inability to see objects in the distance clearly
• Hyperopia: Farsightedness, or inability to see near or far objects clearly
• Astigmatism: An imperfection in the eye curvature
• Presbyopia: Inability to see nearby objects clearly due to age

Presbyopia affects most people around their 40s, but everyone will experience presbyopia at some point in life.

Treatment

In most cases, you only need a prescription from an optometrist or ophthalmologist for glasses or contact lenses. Consider switching to bifocals, trifocals, or progressive lenses if you have a refractive error, or using extra light or reading materials with larger print. Refractive surgery, such as LASIK or PRK, is another option. It can permanently change the shape of your cornea, which might correct the problem.

2. Dry Eye

Dry eye affects millions of people in the United States. You can experience dry eyes when your eyes don't make enough tears to keep them wet. Dry eye may also result from a tear problem like tears drying up too quickly.

Having dry eyes can be uncomfortable. It may feel like something is in the eye or they're stinging and burning. You may also have red or light-sensitive eyes.

Treatment

There are a few different treatment options for dry eye. They include OTC eye drops, prescription medications, lifestyle changes, tear duct plugs, and surgery—an uncommon treatment.

3. Cataracts

Cataracts are one of several eye problems that come with aging. They can affect one eye or both at a time. Over half of all people in the U.S. have visually significant cataracts by age 80.

Cataracts occur when the lens in the front of the eye becomes cloudy and blocks light trying to reach the retina. They usually take time to develop and don't cause pain or other symptoms. Some stay small and cause few problems.

Treatment

Cataracts that grow and interfere with vision are often treated with surgery to remove the old lens and replace it with a clear lens implant. However, you can manage cataracts in earlier stages by using magnifying glasses and brightening your environment.

4. Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that cause vision loss and blindness by damaging the optic nerve. The optic nerve is nerve bundle in the back of your eye that contains more than one million nerve fibers. Glaucoma can affect one or both eyes. It's usually slow to develop, and there are often no symptoms at first. However, it can cause significant vision damage and even blindness over time.

You need to have an eye exam to determine if you have glaucoma. This includes dilation—where eye drops are administered to widen the pupil—and checking your peripheral (side) vision.

Treatment

Once a diagnosis is made, prescription medications, laser treatment, and surgery can help. It's most helpful to start treatment immediately to prevent worsening vision damage.

5. Macular Degeneration

As you age, you have an increased risk of damage to the macula. The macula is an area near the retina's center that helps you see details and objects in front of you.

Age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, is the leading cause of vision loss for older adults and results in a loss of central vision. That can make everyday activities like driving and reading challenging.

Treatment

There's no treatment for early AMD. However, specific vitamins and minerals can slow the damage in intermediate AMD and people with late AMD in one eye. Injections and laser treatment may also be recommended.

6. Eye Infection

An eye infection in one or both eyes can lead to blurry vision. It often involved the cornea, the clear, outermost layer of the eye. Possible infections include:

• Conjunctivitis: Pink eye is an infection that causes redness and swelling. It's very contagious, meaning you can easily get it from being in close contact with someone who has it. You're also more at risk if you're recently had a cold, wear contact lenses, or come into contact with an allergen.
• Herpes keratitis: This condition is caused by the herpes virus. It's one of the most common causes of corneal infections and one the most common eye infections caused by wearing contact lenses.

Sleeping with your contact lenses still in can allow infection-causing microorganisms to get caught under the lenses. Infections can also occur for other reasons, such as wearing extended-wear lenses and reusing contact lens solution.

Treatment

Eye infection treatments include eye drops and antibiotics. Based on the cause of the infection, you may be prescribed antibiotic, antifungal, or antiviral eye drops. Oral medications might be used in more severe cases of infection.

Some infections, like pink eye, usually resolve on their own. However, treating more severe infections helps prevent permanent eye damage. For example, severe herpes keratitis involving scarring and vision loss may require a corneal transplant.

7. Detached Retina

Sometimes, the retina doesn't sit on the back of the eye. It's then considered a detached retina, and your vision can become blurry because the retina can't work when detached.

Vitreous may stick to the retina and pull on it. If the pull is hard enough, it can tear the retina. The eye fluid will then go through the hole and cause the detached retina.

Treatment

A detached retina needs immediate medical attention; otherwise, it can result in vision loss if left untreated. Surgery is the only way to fix a detached retina.

8. Medical Condition

Blurry vision is a symptom of many medical conditions. Here are a few examples.

Diabetes

High blood sugar can damage the retina's blood vessels and make them swell, a condition known as diabetic retinopathy. The swelling changes the shape of the eye and how it focuses. The vessels can leak and start bleeding into the eye in later stages. The result is that you begin seeing floating spots or streaks that look like spider webs.

Injections, medicines, and laser surgery can help save your vision. Other treatment options might include a vitrectomy—a procedure where some or all the vitreous fluid in the eye is removed—or retinal reattachment.

Migraine

An ocular migraine can lead to blurry eyesight due to a spot in the middle of your vision. Reduced blood flow and blood vessel spasms cause these migraines. The migraine can be unilateral (in one eye) or bilateral (in both eyes) and can affect your peripheral vision. Ocular migraines don't last more than an hour.

Recommended migraine treatments can help relieve ocular migraines. You may be able to take over-the-counter (OTC) pain medicines or prescription medicines for migraines.

Autoimmune Disease

If your eye blurriness and dryness are accompanied by inflammation in or around the eye, you could have uveitis. The inflammation usually happens when your body is fighting an infection or you have an autoimmune disease. The most common causes of uveitis are corneal abrasion and eye trauma, infection, and autoimmune disease. Also, it can go away quickly or last long-term, affecting one or both eyes.

Treatment for uveitis usually involves steroids. The steroids may be prescribed in various forms, from pills and eye drops to injections and implants.

Other Possible Causes

Other possible causes of blurry vision include:

• Shingles: Shingles is a painful rash caused by the herpes zoster virus—the same virus responsible for chicken pox. The herpes zoster virus can affect eye nerves, leading to symptoms like pink eye, eye pain or swelling, or keratitis. Shingles may also increase the risk of dry eyes, glaucoma, and cataracts.
  
• Head injury: A concussion is a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that can lead to blurry vision. Concussions happen when sudden movements result in brain movement or twisting within the skull. Vision problems or complaints occur in 90% of people who have TBIs.
• Stroke: A stroke occurs when something restricts blood flow to your brain, causing a host of symptoms like confusion and weakness on one side of your face. About 65% of people experience vision changes, including dry eye. Most people don't regain their full vision.
  

When to Contact a Healthcare Provider

Many reasons for blurry vision don't threaten your eyesight. Still, you should see a healthcare provider to screen for any potential eye disease.

There are also times when you should visit an emergency room or contact a healthcare provider as soon as possible, such as:

• If you have blurry vision and have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDs, other immunosuppressive disorders, or a condition that may result in retinopathy
  
• If you have no vision in a specific area
• If you have pain in your eye with or without moving it
• If your vision changes suddenly and doesn't get better after you blink your eyes
  

A Quick Review

There are many causes of blurry vision, from pink eye and glaucoma to shingles and stress. Treatments for blurry eyesight will vary depending on the cause. You should always investigate what's causing your blurry vision, so see an ophthalmologist if you have that or other eye concerns.