A Guide to Blurred Vision to Help You Determine If You Need to See an Optometrist
There will be instances in life where you may find it difficult to focus your eye on objects around you, but this occurrence is not only rare, but it should be fleeting too. Moreover, you should be able to tell why your vision is blurry, perhaps because you have been exposed to bright light while you were accustomed to a dark room or maybe you glanced directly at the sun.
But when your vision is blurry frequently or for prolonged periods, you should be concerned about an underlying cause that needs diagnosing from an optometrist. Generally, this blurred vision will stem from problems related to the retina, your cornea or the optical nerve. To help you learn more, here is a simplified guide to blurred vision that should help you determine if you need to see an optometrist.
A corneal abrasion
If the blurred vision is accompanied by symptoms such as pain in the affected eye and constant watering of the affected eye, you likely have acquired a corneal abrasion. In simple terms, this is a microscopic scratch on the outer surface of your eye. Most patients usually complain of feeling like there is something stuck in their eye, but this comes from the inner eyelid rubbing against the scratched site.
You must see an optometrist so that they can diagnose the severity of the abrasion. Minor scratches can easily be treated with prescription eye drops that work to lubricate the eye while safeguarding it from infection, whereas major corneal abrasions will require intensive treatment, such as the use of specialised contact lenses, bandages and steroidal medications.
Persistent dry eye
This cause of blurred vision occurs when the eye is not receiving adequate lubrication and this stems from a variety of reasons. Some patients will be predisposed to dry eye due to allergies, menopause, autoimmune diseases and so on. Alternatively, you may develop this syndrome from environmental factors such as spending a substantial amount of time in rooms with dry air, extended time working on a computer, watching a screen or playing video games and more.
Dry eye can be uncomfortable, so it is advisable to see an optometrist who can get to the root of this issue. If the dry eye is due to environmental factors, your optometrist will advise you on the best way to modify your lifestyle to keep this syndrome at bay. Conversely, if the dry eye is due to medical factors, your optometrist can prescribe artificial tears that will help supplement your tear production.
Other reasons why you may be vulnerable to blurry vision and should prompt you to see an optometrist include digital eye strain primarily due to the blue light coming from computer screens and hormonal changes in pregnancy that would lead to excessive pressure stemming from fluid retention in the eye.
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