An introduction to blurry vision
Blurred vision is when the sharpness of eyesight deteriorates, causing objects to look hazy, fuzzy and out of focus – either close up, far away, or both. However, blurry vision can sometimes refer to a range of other vision problems, including:
- Images appearing faded or cloudy
- Decreasing peripheral vision – the edges of the field of vision may appear hazy or darkened. This is also known as ‘tunnel vision’
- Obstruction of vision – this is when it looks like there is something in your eye, obscuring vision. These could be what looks like small floating objects in the eye, or halos of light that make it hard to see clearly
- Double vision.
What are the causes of blurry vision?
Narrowing down what kind of blurred vision you have can usually make it easier to work out the cause. Possible causes include:
- Images that appear out of focus and hazy, either close up or far away, indicates either long or short-sightedness. Long sightedness is when objects close up appear blurred, and short-sightedness is when objects in the distance look blurry.
- Cataracts– this causes vision to blur and become cloudy
- Glaucoma – this is a condition where a sudden or gradual increase in pressure in the eye damages the optic nerve at the back of the eye. This can cause tunnel vision.
- Diabetes – high blood sugar can cause the lens of the eye to swell, causing blurring
- Chronic eye strain – this can cause both blurry and double vision
- Keratitis– this is the inflammation of the cornea of the eye
- Migraines
- Dry eyes – vision can fluctuate with this condition
- Astigmatism – this is when the cornea or lens of the eye isn’t completely round. This means that light entering the eye is not properly focused onto a single point on the retina
- Eye injury – this includes getting something stuck in your eye, like a small piece of glass, a knock to the eye, eye socket, or area around the eye, or getting chemicals in your eye.
- Macular degeneration – this is when part of the retina (the macula) becomes damaged over time, and is the leading cause of loss of vision in older people.
It is always best to see your GP to get a diagnosis of the cause of your blurry vision in order to receive the appropriate treatment.
Self-help
There isn’t a huge amount that you can do from home to treat blurred vision. If your vision needs correcting with glasses, we recommend making an opticians appointment, and wearing the prescribed glasses or contact lenses as instructed.
Aside from this, you can improve your diet to make it more eye-health friendly by including more leafy greens and brightly coloured foods such as citrus fruits, bell peppers and carrots. We have a guide on the foods to eat for healthy eyes that will help you improve your diet. Depending on the cause of your blurred vision, this can help greatly.
Are there any herbal or natural remedies that might help?
We don’t have herbal remedies to fix this symptom specifically, but we do have a couple which may help the underlying causes of your problem.
If you’re blurred vision is caused by eye strain, tiredness or dry eyes, we recommend Euphrasia, a herb that has been used since the 14th century to treat eye problems, earning its alternative name ‘Eyebright’. The A.Vogel Eye Drops contain this herb and can be used to treat tired, itchy and dry eyes.
Vision Complex will also help improve general eye health and vision. It contains lutein and zeaxanthin which have a protective function in the eye – they prevent harmful light from reaching the inner structures of the retina and have been shown to improve vision generally.
When to seek medical advice
Blurred vision is often not a serious risk to health and can be easily managed or treated. However, some causes of blurred vision are more serious so it is important you go to your optician to get an diagnosis. After that they can advise you on what course of treatment you can take. These may include surgeries, diet control, eye drops or simply using glasses to correct your vision.
If you experience a sudden onset of blurry vision or seeing double, if your blurry vision is severe, or if you experience pain in your eye or eyes or severe headaches, you should seek medical advice right away.
