Blurred vision
What is Blurred Vision
Blurred vision is the lack of sharpness of vision with, as a result, the inability to see fine detail.
Blurred vision can have many different causes. It often occurs with astigmatism and cataracts.
Medication, headaches, computer use are but a few causes of blurred vision.
What are the symptoms
- Distortion or blurring of images at all distances.
- Headache and fatigue.
- Squinting and eye discomfort or irritation.
What causes Blurred Vision?
Concentrated tasks can cause tired eyes and blurred vision.
If you spend a long time using a computer or watching television, your eyes can become tired and your vision blurred.
Using a computer does not cause permanent damage to your eyes. However working on a computer is a demanding visual task that can cause eye discomfort.
If you have an uncorrected vision problem, this can make computer use uncomfortable and can lead to blurred vision and eye strain.
Whenever you concentrate on a computer screen or watch television, you tend to blink less often which can lead to your eyes drying out.
This is made worse if you are in a dry environment, such as a heated or air conditioned office.
Some people experience blurred vision particularly at night.
There are a number of reasons why your eyes may go blurry at night. For example:
- You are tired and your visual system is fatigued
- You have a refractive error such as long sightedness or astigmatism. During the day you may be able to compensate for these, but when your eyes are tired your vision can go blurry.
- You could be mildly short-sighted. This may not bother you in normal light but you notice it at lower light levels.
- The tears on the front of your eyes may be drying out if you have been around heaters and air conditioners all day. This may cause your eyes to go a little blurry, but should clear when you blink.
Other possible causes of Blurred vision are medications or other substances and some medical conditions
If your vision has started going blurry, you should have your eyes examined to identify the problem.
How is Blurred Vision diagnosed
Blurred vision needs to be distinguished from other visual symptoms.
Double vision (diplopia) is a specific visual symptom usually distinguished from blurred vision.
It is important to determine whether only one or both eyes are affected (unilateral blurred vision versus bilateral blurred vision).
Another distinction is whether the blurred vision occurs continually or only intermittently.
Any type of blurry vision needs prompt professional medical diagnosis and treatment.
How can Blurred Vision be treated
You can help prevent dry eyes and minimise the risk of tired or sore eyes while reading or using a computer. Tips include:
- Take regular breaks
- Look around at objects that are at different distances
- Try to blink often.
If this doesn't help, consult an optometrist to determine the underlying cause of the problem and the best way to manage it.
How can Eyerobics help
As blurred vision itself is not a disorder but rather a symptom of what could be a disorder it is important to firstly establish which disorder is at the cause. Once you know what is at the cause of your blurred vision, simply look up the disorder or disease on the left navigation menu and read what Eyerobics can do for you to regain clear sight.
The following disorders can cause blurred vision:
- Dry eyes
- Cataracts
- Diabetes
- Glaucoma
- Hyperopia - Far sightedness
- Iritis
- Macular Degeneration
- Myopia - Near sightedness
- Presbyopia
- Refractive error