Blurred vision - how to deal with the problem?

2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14

Vision for humans is one of the most important senses. Decreased visual acuity is often associated with age-related changes. But ophthalmologists often hear complaints of blurred eyes, blurry vision, flickering of lights in front of the eyes, floating spots, or the feeling of a hanging fixed point in front of one eye.

All these symptoms indicate the onset of pathological changes in the eye organ and can lead to the most unpredictable consequences, including complete blindness.

You should be especially worried about blurred vision if it is accompanied by severe pain, cramps in the eyes, periodically appearing or constant ringing in the ears, urge to vomit, photophobia and other atypical manifestations.

Causes

Most often, turbidity may indicate the presence of the following diseases in a person:

• Glaucoma. The main symptoms are foggy or tunnel perception of the world, manifested by the sensation of seeing as through a magnifying glass. Complete blindness is possible without surgical treatment;
• Cataract. Clouding of the lens causing glare. Surgical treatment is indicated. Without replacing the lens, you can lose the pleasure of seeing the surrounding objects;
• Retinopathy in diabetes. Damage to the retina due to the progression of diabetes mellitus. Local treatment;
• Cerebral hemorrhage with cardiovascular attacks. The main symptom is blurry vision or double objects in front of the eyes;
• Hemorrhage in the eye may indicate the onset of the development of multiple sclerosis. Visually, the presence of blood in the eyeball is noted or blood vessels in the eye become visible. The patient complains of clouding and double vision. In such cases, you should consult a doctor;
• Endocrine Disorders. In addition to reduced vision, patients complain of headaches, loss of consciousness, decreased appetite;
• Head trauma. Head bruises can cause concussion and, as a result, blurred vision;
• Parasitic infection of the body. The main symptoms are nausea and fainting;
• Inflammation of the choroid. The level decreases gradually.

Diagnostics

You can find out the reasons why a person loses the ability to see clearly at an appointment with an ophthalmologist. After a detailed examination and laboratory tests, the doctor will prescribe a course of treatment or send it to another narrow-profile specialist.

Diagnostics are performed using the following methods:

• Ophthalmoscopic examination to determine the integrity of the retinal arteries. The fundus of the eye is not subject to changes, problems may consist in vascular lesions;
• Biomicroscopy will help to establish why the pupil is constricted, detect the presence of inflammation, etc.;
• Ultrasound to determine the state of the eyeball;
• Tomography.

To establish all possible causes of lens opacity, the patient will be prescribed:

• General blood test, for the presence of cholesterol plaques and sugar;
• Blood pressure measurement;
• Doppler ultrasound examination of the heart;
• Ultrasound and X-ray of the kidneys.

Prophylaxis

In order to maintain visual acuity, you should adhere to some rules:

• At the first sign of blurred vision, visit an ophthalmologist;
• Do not read in a dimly lit room and in moving vehicles;
• Control blood sugar and cholesterol levels;
• Monitor your blood pressure readings;
• Eat carrots and blueberries.

Other reasons

Blurred vision can occur with refractive errors:

• Myopia. Develops gradually, may affect one visual organ or both. The main symptoms are redness of the eyes in the morning, tired eyes are accompanied by headaches, the desire to squint to look at a distant object. Objects at a great distance have a blurry outline. Treatment is either surgical or the problem is solved by the selection of glasses and contact lenses;
• Hyperopia. The process occurs gradually, it differs from myopia in that defocusing changes the halo, a person sees distant objects perfectly, while close objects blur. The visual organs get tired quickly. The solution to the problem is possible either by a surgical method or by referral to the nearest optics for the selection of glasses with the necessary diopters;
• Astigmatism. May be the result of pathological changes in the lens or a congenital defect of the optic organ. With astigmatism, the shape of the cornea changes. The person who is diagnosed with this, poorly distinguishes objects both close to him and distant. Patients with astigmatism may have vision of -8 diopters in one eye, and +3 in the other. Usually, this situation can be corrected with the help of an operation or by prescribing glasses with different diopters, which make it possible to see objects more clearly;
• Presbyopia. Age-related change in the clear perception of surrounding objects. Usually it starts with the fact that it is difficult for a person to read, the text seems blurry, the eyes get tired quickly. This process is associated with the sealing of the lens inside the eye, and it cannot be stopped. Therefore, it makes sense to contact an optician for the correct selection of contact lenses or glasses. Modern medicine has made a major step in the surgical treatment of presbyopia; the lost ability to see can be restored with the help of keratoplasty or laser monovision;
• Dry eyes. Sometimes there are violations of the lacrimal canals, in which the eyeball dries up, the person's sensitivity to light decreases and the surrounding objects are visible in a blurry fog, sometimes they seem to be floating. Surgical and local treatment. Special moisturizing drops are prescribed, otherwise called "artificial tears";
• During pregnancy. Many women, while carrying a child, complain of blurred vision, flickering lights, moving points in front of their eyes. This is due to a change in hormonal levels, in which the cornea changes shape and thickness, which leads to blurred vision. After childbirth, the condition stabilizes and returns to normal. But in some cases, it may indicate an increase in blood pressure or the first signs of diabetes mellitus;
• High blood pressure. When a black dot constantly hangs in front of a person's eyes, the condition is accompanied by headaches, a feeling of fatigue and weakness. When measured with a tonometer, the device shows very high numbers. In this case, blurred vision is treated with drugs that lower blood pressure;
• Migraine. A common condition in women diagnosed with anemia. Vascular anemia provokes a decrease in vision, the appearance of flickering light and multi-colored patterns. Treatment is prescribed by a cardiologist;
• Broken contact lenses. Lenses tend to deteriorate from prolonged wear, uneven edges cause discomfort, and vision becomes blurry. The problem is eliminated by purchasing new lenses;
• Drug reaction. Each person may have an individual intolerance to certain components of medicines. It manifests itself as a side effect when using eye drops.

In this case, you should tell your doctor about the problem with blurred vision of objects for the appointment of another drug.