14 causes of blurred vision you should know about

Suffering from blurred vision? Here are 14 reasons for this symptom that you should pay attention to immediately.

Mita Majumdar | Updated: April 14, 2016 3:40 pm

Did you know that staring at your computer for even a few hours at a stretch can strain your eyes so much that it can cause blurred vision? While the simplistic explanation for this condition is the inability to see properly, doctors define it as a loss of sharp vision. One can develop blurry vision in one or both eyes and may come on suddenly or gradually. Apart from all the other factors like staring at your computer screen, blurred vision may also be a normal sign of aging.

Depending on the cause, blurred vision can begin suddenly and disappear as quickly, or you may have severe episodes within a given period. Digital eye strain is also one of the reasons why you experience blurred vision. Here are some causes of blurred vision that would need medical intervention:

Eye Conditions causing blurred vision

1. Myopia: Myopia, or better known as nearsightedness, is an eye condition where you can see objects near you very clearly, but far away objects seem hazy or blurry. This condition is usually diagnosed at the age of 8 to 12 years of age. Eyestrain from long hours on the computer or too much reading are also risked factors for myopia, even in adults. Nearsightedness can be corrected using contact lenses or glasses and refractive surgery.

2. Cataract: Clouding of the lens of the eye is called cataract. Cataracts develop slowly, so there usually are no problems with your vision in the early stages. With time, they may cause blurred vision. You may also experience sensitivity to light and see a halo around lights; you many also have double vision. Surgery is the safest and best way of dealing with cataracts.

3. Glaucoma: Is an eye condition that is the result of optic nerve damage, which leads to eventual loss of vision. The most common type of glaucoma that causes blurry vision is acute angle-closure glaucoma (where a person loses sight from the corners of the eyes first and then completely loses the ability to see). The other symptoms of this eye condition are reddening of the eye, eye pain, nausea and vomiting and formation of a halo around the light.

Other Diseases and Disorders

Many medical conditions may cause blurry vision. Some of the most common ones are:

4. Diabetes: Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that everyone now is familiar with. There is always someone in your family or someone among your friends or colleagues who is suffering from this disease. If someone is diabetic for a long time, there are high chances that they might develop vision problem called diabetic maculopathy. Diabetic maculopathy affects the retina (the nerve layer lining the back of the eye). Diabetes causes the blood vessels of the retina to leak fluid and protein. This makes the retina to swell and when the centre of the retina, called macula, is swollen, vision blurs.

5. Low blood sugar: Your vision may blur if your blood sugar levels drop drastically, say below 70mg/dL. You are likely to have episodes of low blood sugar or hypoglycaemia if you have diabetes. The other signs are a rapid heartbeat, sudden mood changes, unexplained fatigue, headache, difficulty sleeping, tingling sensations, and trouble concentrating.

6. Mini stroke: Medically termed transient ischemic attack, a mini stroke causes blurring of vision. During a mini stroke, blood stops flowing to the brain although it does not kill the brain cells as a real stroke does. However, get immediate medical attention to prevent the risk of an actual stroke. During a mini-stroke, you may experience numbness in an arm or leg, fatigue, lack of balance, trouble speaking, and sudden rise in blood pressure; you may lose consciousness or suffer from temporary memory loss. And of course, you may also see hazy.

7. A brain aneurysm – This is a condition in which an artery in the brain balloons or bulges. A brain aneurysm becomes a potentially life-threatening condition if the artery bursts and leaks blood into the brain. This is called haemorrhagic stroke. Although sudden, extremely severe headache is the key symptoms of the condition, it also causes blurred or double vision, nausea, and vomiting, sometimes loss of consciousness, seizure, stiffness in the neck, and sensitivity to light.

8. Certain autoimmune diseases – Some autoimmune diseases too can cause blurry vision. These include multiple sclerosis, a disease that affects the brain and spinal cord; myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease causing weakness of muscles; and systemic lupus erythematosus, in which the body’s immune system attacks its own healthy cells.

Medication

Another probable reason for your blurry vision is certain medicines you might be taking for your illness/disorder. This includes:

9. Antihistamines: The antihistamines you are taking to relieve your allergy symptoms can rapidly increase the pressure inside the eye, especially if you suffer from glaucoma, causing blurry vision. Apart from blurred vision, you may also have other symptoms such as eye pain, headache, nausea, and vomiting. Glaucoma is basically of two types – open angle and narrow-angle. If you have narrow angle glaucoma, your doctor may ask you to avoid antihistamines that could dilate your pupils.

10. Corticosteroids: Corticosteroids and more specifically prednisone is another drug that can cause blurry vision. Prednisone is used to treat conditions like arthritis, asthma and other breathing disorders, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, and severe allergies. The drug can increase eye pressure in some people and is a significant risk for developing glaucoma or cataract.

11. Antipsychotic drugs: The antipsychotic drugs chlorpromazine and thioridazine are other drugs that may cause cataract in some people. Both of them, especially thioridazine, can lead to blurred vision as toxic substances are deposited in the retina of the eye. You may also lose night vision.

12. Breast cancer treatment drug: Tamoxifen used in breast cancer treatment can also cause retinal changes and decrease color vision. Get your eyes tested when you start the drug and at least every two years as long as you are on the drug. Isotretinoin used, rarely, to prevent skin or pancreatic cancers, but primarily used as a treatment for cystic acne can cause blurred vision and decreased night vision.

13. Erectile dysfunction drugs: Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs, too, may sometimes cause blurry vision. Other than blurred vision, men may also see a temporary blue tinge in objects and become light sensitive.

14. Tuberculosis drugs: Ethambutol, an antibiotic to treat tuberculosis, and isoniazid, another TB drug have shown to be associated with optic nerve problems. People taking this drug have reported loss of visual acuity, blurring of vision, and difficulty seeing certain colors.

There are of course many other causes for blurry vision such as anaemia and migraine, but whatever the cause seek immediate medical attention if blurry vision occurs after a head trauma or if blurry vision is accompanied by symptoms such as:

You become unconscious or your level of alertness changes
Slurred speech, inability to speak, or difficulty understanding speech
High fever
Seizure
Numbness or paralysis on one side of the body
High fever
Memory loss
Sudden weight loss

Do not ignore your blurred vision. Take timely action and save your eyes and your health.

Image Source: Shutterstock

Published: March 18, 2014 11:46 am | Updated:April 14, 2016 3:40 pm

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