What are some causes of blurriness?
Blurriness can involve central vision, where reading or looking at faces or objects gets affected, or peripheral vision, where a part of the visual field appears blurry. Often patients who develop blurred vision think they just need new glasses. Sometimes this is true, but recent, sudden, or progressive blurred vision can be due to more serious causes including:
- Eye inflammation or infection such as uveitis or endophthalmitis
- Retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, retinal vein occlusion, retinal artery occlusion, central serous chorioretinopathy, complications of very high myopia or near-sightedness
- Optic nerve diseases such as inflammation of optic nerve (optic neuritis), optic nerve stroke, glaucoma
- Tumors of the eye, eye socket, or the brain
Most of these conditions can lead to permanent vision loss. Some of them can even cause death in rare cases. However, these complications can be avoided by early diagnosis and treatment. If you have recently developed blurriness, contact us today to make an appointment for a comprehensive eye exam.
What are some causes of vision loss?
Vision loss can involve the central vision where a dark spot appears over objects or faces when we look at them. It can also affect the peripheral vision where a dark spot or area appears somewhere in the visual field. Vision loss can happen suddenly or gradually. More importantly, vision loss can be constant or temporary and resolve on its own over a few minutes to hours. Most patients with sudden and constant vision loss are naturally concerned and seeking eye care as soon as possible. But it is important to remember that transient vision loss, even for a few minutes, can be a clue to imminent and serious sight- or life-threatening conditions such a stroke in the eye or in the brain. Vision loss can be due to benign causes such as a cataract or migraine, but some of its more serious causes include:
- Retinal diseases: diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, retinal artery occlusion, bleeding complication of macular degeneration or very high myopia or near-sightedness, a hole in the center of retina (macular hole), retinal detachment
- Optic nerve diseases: inflammation of optic nerve (optic neuritis), optic nerve stroke, glaucoma
- Tumors of the eye, eye socket, or the brain
- Stroke
Most of these conditions can lead to permanent vision loss or even death in rare cases. However, these complications can be generally avoided by early diagnosis and treatment. If you have recently developed vision loss, whether constant or transient, contact us today to make an appointment for a comprehensive eye exam.