Blurry Vision FAQs with Our Carlsbad Optometrist Team
Blurry vision can make even simple daily activities more challenging. At Modern Eyes Optometry, our Carlsbad optometrist team works hard to help our patients get to the bottom of their blurry vision and find solutions that will help them see their future more clearly. Check out these frequently asked questions about blurry vision.
What Causes Blurry Vision?
Blurry vision has many possible causes. Some of the most common causes are refractive errors, which are irregularities in the shape of the eyeball, cornea, and/or lens that change the way light enters the eye and focuses on the retina. Refractive errors include astigmatism, nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and presbyopia (age-related farsightedness).
Other conditions associated with blurry vision include:
- Macular degeneration
- Glaucoma
- Allergies
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Macular edema
- Conjunctivitis
- Dry eye syndrome
- Keratoconus
- Corneal abrasion
- Photokeratitis
To fully understand the cause of your blurry vision, see an eye doctor.
What Are Some Risk Factors for Blurry Vision?
Anyone can have blurry vision. Leading risk factors include:
- Advanced age
- Smoking
- A history of trauma, infection, or surgery in the eye
- Family history
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Excessive sunlight exposure
- Certain medications
- Excessive computer use
- Environmental factors (e.g., wind, smoke, pollution, pet dander, dust, pollen, dry climate)
- Underlying health conditions like diabetes, obesity, allergies, autoimmune disorders, stroke, and high blood pressure
What Is It Like to Have Blurry Vision?
People with blurry vision often struggle to see things close up and far away. They may have cloudy, fuzzy, or dim vision, or notice difficulties in only certain areas of their eyesight (e.g., reduced side vision or central vision).
Depending on the underlying cause, blurry vision might also occur with other signs and symptoms, including:
- Watery discharge that leaves a dry, crusty residue on the eyelids and lashes
- Swelling, redness, itchiness, or grittiness in the eye
- Eye fatigue or eye strain after
- Increased sensitivity to bright lights and glare
- Floaters or shifting spots in the field of vision
- Visual abnormalities, such as straight lines that look wavy
- The need for frequent prescription changes
- Reduced tolerance to contact lens use
What Can I Do about Blurry Vision?
If you have persistent blurry vision, see an eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam. Our optometry team can run specific tests and techniques to diagnose the cause of your blurry vision and implement the appropriate treatment strategies.
Blurry vision treatment can be different for each patient, but may include a combination of prescription eyewear, medications, low vision strategies, and surgical procedures like laser surgery.
Bothered by Blurry Vision?
Call Modern Eyes Optometry now at (760) 678-0008 to schedule an eye exam in Carlsbad, CA.