Cloudy and Blurry Vision: What You Need to Know
- Posted on: Feb 28 2022
When people visit their eye doctor complaining of slightly impaired vision, they often describe their condition as blurry or cloudy. These are two common symptoms that could indicate a wide variety of underlying problems. For this reason, though, it is necessary to be as specific as possible when describing what vision changes have occurred. Here, we discuss what you need to know about blurry and cloudy vision so you can more accurately communicate with your eye doctor.
What is Blurry Vision?
We describe something as blurry when it is out of focus. People with blurry vision tend to squint to make objects appear clearer. It is important to understand that blurry vision may not involve only what is directly in front of you. Sometimes, symptoms include poor vision at the periphery, to the right or left of center. Blurry vision may stem from a number of factors. Common conditions an eye doctor may look for include nearsightedness or farsightedness, astigmatism, corneal opacification or scarring, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and corneal abrasions. Problems such as infection, trauma or injury to an eye, retinopathy, and optic neuritis may also cause blurring. Some conditions also cause headaches or migraines.
What is Cloudy Vision?
When a person has cloudy vision, they may feel as though they are seeing through a fog or haze. It may feel like there is a film on the surface of the eye that you could blink away. Like blurred vision, cloudiness may also come from a variety of factors and may coincide with additional symptoms. Accurate communication about all symptoms helps the doctor reach an appropriate diagnosis. Some of these may include seeing halos around light, watery eyes or dry eyes, double vision, bloodshot eyes, and poor nighttime vision.
The most common cause of cloudy vision is the formation of cataracts on the lens of the eye. Cataracts usually form in one eye. Over time, both eyes may develop this clouding, which is a buildup of proteins on the eye’s lens. People who wear contact lenses may notice cloudy vision if their contacts are damaged or dirty. This symptom should improve by removing contacts, cleaning them very well, and avoiding wearing them for too long. Cloudiness may be more common in people with diabetes and may be related to macular degeneration or damage to the optic nerve.
Since blurry and cloudy vision could be indicators of potentially serious eye disease, it is important to see your eye doctor every year. Not your optometrist who prescribes your corrective lenses, but also an ophthalmologist who is trained to evaluate every part of the eye. Roholt Vision Institute is proud to provide outstanding care from offices in North Canton, Canfield, and Alliance, OH. Contact us today to schedule a visit to an office near you.
Posted in: Eye Exams, Ohio Eye Care