Blurry vision

You have blurry vision when objects in your eyesight appear cloudy or indistinct. It may affect one eye or both and may happen to you suddenly or gradually. Long-term diseases or disorders usually cause it. Blurry vision may also have other causes, such as wearing the wrong prescription glasses, rubbing your eyes for long and crying a lot.

Blurred vision may occur as a result of the following reasons:

• Tiny particles may have entered your eyes and cloud your vision.
• Your vision may become cloudy if you have cried a lot or for long
• Your eyes are dry due to ageing
• Overexposure of your eyes to sunlight.
• You may have blurred vision if you had some blow to your eyes.
• You may experience blurry vision if you have long-term diseases or disorders like diabetes, eye cancer or stroke.
• You may have blurry vision if your prescription glasses are not appropriate to you.
• Wearing contact lenses for a long time.
• Ointments or oil-based drugs applied to the eye may also cloud your vision.

Blurred vision may sometimes be harmless and resolves with time. If you notice any of these the following, visit a healthcare provider to examine your eyes.

• If your vision becomes blurry suddenly.
• If only one eye’s vision becomes blurry and the second eye is not affected.
• You lose part of your eyesight or if your eyesight reduces gradually with time.
• If you have an immune disorder like HIV/AIDS.
• When you have double vision.
• When you have sudden headaches or eye pain.
• When your eye becomes red, swollen, itchy and emit a discharge.

Remember, Your eyes are the windows through which you see the world; take care of them.

Protect your eyes from injury by wearing protective goggles or glasses during work in a hazardous environment and having regular eye check-ups. Early diagnosis can help you slow down eye disease and treat underlying conditions.

Self-Care Tips

• Eat diets rich in fruits, carrots, and green leafy vegetables. You can supplement your diet with vitamin A, C, E, and selenium.
• Exercise regularly.
• You should avoid keeping contact lenses in your eyes for a long time. Your eye doctor or optometrist can advise you about appropriate contact lens care.
• Replace old glasses with new ones as blurry vision may be due to wrong or weak glasses.
• Soak the edge of a clean towel with cold water and massage your eyes with it. This can help relieve any swelling or pain.
• You can apply artificial tear drops to your eyes if they are dry.

Medical Treatment

• Your healthcare provider will recommend examinations and tests to diagnose the cause of the blurry vision.
• Your healthcare provider may prescribe some eye drops, medicines or suggest a surgical procedure. This depends on your condition and the cause of your blurry vision.

A blurred vision may scare you because it affects your eye and the may bring fear of losing your eyesight. Sometimes, your eyesight may improve on its own while other times you may need to see your healthcare provider.

You should report changes in your eyesight to your healthcare provider immediately if these changes are puzzling you. This will help you prevent or slow down any damage to your eyes.