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Blurred vision
4-minute read
Key facts
- If you have blurred vision, the things you see will not look sharp and clear.
- Blurred vision can be caused by different eye conditions, medical conditions or even medicines.
- Treatment for blurred vision can include eye drops, glasses, contact lenses, laser eye surgery or medicines.
- You can protect your vision by having regular eye check-ups, keep a healthy lifestyle, quit smoking and protect your eyes from hazards.
- You should urgently seek medical attention if you develop sudden blurry vision.
What is blurred vision?
If you have blurred vision, the things you see will not look sharp and clear. You may experience blurred vision in one or both eyes, depending on what is causing it. It may affect only part of your vision, or your whole visual field.
What symptoms might I also have together with blurred vision?
Along with blurred vision, you can also have other symptoms, including:
- headaches
- other visual disturbances including double vision, tunnel vision, blind spots or halos (light spots)
- sensitivity to light or flashing lights
- red or irritated eyes
CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.
What causes blurred vision?
Blurred vision can be caused by eye conditions, medical conditions or it may be a side effect of certain medicines.
Eye conditions that can cause blurred vision include:
- refractive errors (eye problems that affect your eyes ability to focus light) such as near-sightedness, far-sightedness, presbyopia or astigmatism
- dry eye syndrome
- cataracts
- glaucoma
- age-related macular degeneration
- eye infection, eye injury or damage to the cornea
- problems with your retina, such as diabetic retinopathy
Medical conditions that can cause blurred vision include:
- diabetes or low blood sugar levels
- migraine, head injury or concussion
- pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure) if you are pregnant
- psoriasis (a skin condition that sometimes can also affect the eyes)
- multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease, stroke or brain tumour
When should I see my doctor?
You should urgently seek medical help if you suddenly develop blurred vision along with:
- dizziness
- weakness or numbness on one side of your body
- a drooping face
- loss of balance
- slurred speech
Blurred vision together with these symptoms may be the sign of a stroke that needs urgent medical attention. If you are concerned that you or someone else is having a stroke, call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance.
It is also important to seek medical attention if you have ongoing blurred vision.
FIND A HEALTH SERVICE — The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.
How is blurred vision diagnosed?
As there are many potential causes of blurred vision, it is important to see your doctor, optometrist or ophthalmologist for an accurate diagnosis.
Your optometrist or ophthalmologist will examine your eyes and perform various eye tests to identify what is causing your blurred vision.
If an underlying medical cause is suspected, your doctor may also refer you for blood tests.
How is blurred vision treated?
Treatment of your blurry vision will depend on what is causing it. Treatment options can include:
- eye drops
- glasses
- contact lenses
- laser eye surgery
- medicines
Blurred vision self-care
If your blurred vision is affecting your life, technology and tools are available to help you cope. Vision Australia offers a range of services and advice to people who are vision impaired and is open 8:30am to 7:00pm Monday to Friday AEDT on 1300 84 74 66.
How can I protect my vision?
Follow these recommendations to protect your vision:
- have regular eye check ups — if you do not have any eye diseases or are not at risk, have an examination every 2 years by a registered optometrist or ophthalmologist
- protect your eyes from UV light — wear sunglasses with good UV protection and a hat to protect against some eye diseases
- follow a healthy lifestyle — a balanced diet high in antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals can slow down macular degeneration or diseases causing blurry vision such as diabetes
- quit smoking
- protect your eyes from hazards — wear safety glasses to protect against eye injury
It is especially important to look after your eyes if you have diabetes. Maintaining stable blood glucose levels can reduce your chance of developing diabetic eye problems.
Maintaining healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels can also reduce your chance of other health problems that can affect your eyes, such as stroke.
Resources and support
- If you or your loved one is living with an eye condition, visit Vision Australia to learn more about different eye conditions.
- The Fred Hollow's Foundation has informative resources about eye health.
- If you are living with diabetes, Diabetes Australia has information about looking after your eye health.