What are some causes of blurred vision

I see blurry sometimes - what does that mean?

After getting up or during the day, have you ever seen blurred vision or pressure in your eyes for a short time? Do you then have the hope that it will go away on its own? Or would you prefer to make an appointment with your ophthalmologist quickly?

In the following text, we will explain various causes of blurred vision and give you tips that you can use in everyday life to prevent these problems. You will also learn why it is worth having your eyes lasered for certain eye problems.

What are causes of blurred vision

If you suddenly have blurred vision or flashes of light in front of your eyes, the first thing to do is to keep calm. In most cases this situation has an easily explainable and harmless cause:

  • Getting out of bed too quickly can lead to blurred vision. A brief drop in blood pressure is known to be the most common cause. This is known in technical terms as orthostatic hypotension.
  • Blurred vision in the morning can also be due to an unfavorable sleeping position. Particularly in patients with a so-called floppy eye lid syndrome, it can happen that the eyelids are not completely closed and the cornea dries out overnight. This problem then causes the known symptoms and in some cases can be normalized by a change of position.
  • Another cause can also be an inadequately corrected visual defect. This means a farsightedness or short-sightedness that is not known to you beforehand. In unfamiliar surroundings, you suddenly notice blurred vision in one or both eyes.

However, if the problem of blurred vision or the feeling of pressure in the eye does not go away, there could also be another medical cause. The following examples can be the cause:

  • A clouding of the body's own lens of the eye - this is what is known as "cataracts"
  • Diseases of the optic nerve, whereby the impulse of seeing is not passed on to the brain or is disturbed
  • Various changes to the retina in the back of the eye

What can I do about it myself?

Do the above problems sound familiar to you? But you don't want to see a doctor yet or have to wait for your appointment? Then there are some health benefits for your eyes.

  • A balanced diet to provide the eyes with all the important nutrients
  • Smoking worsens the blood flow to the optic nerve and retina and should therefore be avoided
  • Do you tolerate certain foods, such as Not alcohol or coffee, it is important to avoid them
  • Use of sunglasses with adequate UV protection, as UV radiation can cause permanent damage to the retina or the surface of the eye
  • Regular ventilation is necessary, especially when the heating air is dry in winter. Nevertheless, drafts should be avoided as the eyes dry out easily

When do I have to go to the ophthalmologist?

Although the causes are mostly harmless, you should definitely consult a doctor if the symptoms persist. If spots or thick black haze appear in the field of vision, a doctor should be consulted immediately, as it can be serious circulatory disorders up to a stroke.

If you also experience pain, it could also be an inflammation or infection of the cornea or iris. With all causes you should immediately consult an ophthalmologist in order to be able to make an exact diagnosis. This will then initiate further treatment.

How do I recognize cataracts?

The cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye. The most common cause of this cloudiness is the natural aging process of the lens of the eye. Cataracts initially present with relatively harmless symptoms. In the initial stage, it causes a deterioration in vision and a fog in the middle of the field of vision.

With this symptom, it seems to those affected as if every object disappears behind a veil that becomes thicker and denser depending on the duration. Color perception also suffers from this disease, as all colors are enveloped in gray over time. In any case, these symptoms should be taken seriously and not labeled as harmless.

No more blurry vision. Help with eye lasers!

Laser eye surgery helps to treat ametropia. While a scalpel was operated on the eye years ago, this is now being replaced by modern laser technology. The best treatment for cataracts is cataract surgery with an eye laser.

During a standard operation, the corneal incision is made with a scalpel and all steps must be performed manually. The manual operation steps are replaced by the laser system through modern laser technology. The procedure usually takes no longer than 20 minutes and is carried out on an outpatient basis, i.e. directly on site and under local anesthesia.

Of course, as with any procedure, there can also be minor side effects. This can e.g. Burning or itching of the eye. However, it can be said with a clear conscience that laser-assisted lens replacement is an effective method of restoring vision in the event of loss of vision due to a cataract. In many cases, after the laser eye surgery, visual aids such as glasses or contact lenses are never required again. The eye is corrected for the rest of life.