If you’ve experienced needing to squint to read a street sign or the words on your screen, you know blurry vision can be frustrating or unsettling. Our teams in Calgary, Olds, Sundre, and Carstairs, we understand that it’s a common experience that can pop up at any age. The team at our practice can help you get to the bottom of what’s causing the change in your sight.
Blurry vision can have many causes, ranging from simple refractive errors and eye strain to signs of other health conditions. A comprehensive eye exam is often a good place to start looking for the source of the change.
Common Reasons for Blurry Vision
Refractive Errors
This kind of blurry vision can happen when the shape of your eye causes light to focus incorrectly. We call this kind of blurry vision refractive errors, which are very common and include conditions you may have heard of before. These are often corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses.
- Nearsightedness: Close objects appear clear, but distant ones are blurry
- Farsightedness: Distant objects appear clear, but close ones are blurry
- Astigmatism: Vision is blurry at all distances
Digital Eye Strain
Long hours on screens (like computers, phones, or tablets) can tire your eyes. This is known as digital eye strain, and it can cause temporary blurriness, headaches, and dry eye.
Dry Eye
Your eyes need a healthy layer of tears to see clearly and feel comfortable. If your eyes don’t produce enough tears or the tears are of poor quality, your vision can become blurry. You might also feel a gritty or burning sensation.
Curious if you have dry eye? Take our quick dry eye quiz to learn more about your symptoms.
Changes as You Age
As you get older, your eyes change. The clear lens part of your eye can become less flexible, making it harder to focus on close objects. This is a natural part of life that affects nearly everyone.
When Blurry Vision Happens Suddenly
Important Signs to Notice
If your vision blurs suddenly, pay attention to any other symptoms you might have. You should seek emergency eye care if blurry vision comes with:
- Dizziness or loss of balance
- Weakness or numbness on 1 side of your body
- A severe headache
- Trouble speaking
- Seeing flashes of light or floaters
Possible Urgent Causes
Sudden blurriness can be a signal that something needs immediate attention. It could be related to a head injury, a sudden increase in eye pressure, or issues with blood flow to the eye or brain. Prompt action is important in these situations.
How Your Overall Health Affects Your Eyes
Diabetes and Your Vision
High blood sugar levels can damage the small blood vessels in the back of your eyes over time. Because of this, regular diabetic eye exams are an important part of managing your health.
Migraines and Visual Effects
For some people, blurry vision, wavy lines, or flashing lights can happen before or during a migraine headache. These visual changes, often called an aura, are usually temporary and go away once the migraine passes.
High Blood Pressure and Your Eyes
Just like with diabetes, high blood pressure can also gradually harm the delicate blood vessels in your eyes. Over time, this damage may lead to blurry vision and other sight-related problems that can be detected during an eye exam.
Pregnancy and Vision Changes
Hormonal and physical changes during pregnancy can sometimes affect your eyesight. While often temporary, any significant change in vision (especially blurriness) is worth discussing with an eye doctor.
Find the Cause of Your Blurry Vision
What to Expect During an Eye Exam
To figure out why your vision is blurry, an eye doctor can perform a thorough check of your eye health and vision. This involves more than just reading letters on a chart. A comprehensive eye exam is a thorough evaluation of how your eyes work individually and together.
Questions Your Eye Doctor May Ask
To help get a clear picture, the eye care team may ask you about your symptoms, lifestyle, and general health. Being ready to share this information helps them understand your situation and provide you with the right care.
Treatments and Solutions for Clearer Sight
Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses
For most refractive errors, prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses are a straightforward way to correct your vision. They help focus light correctly on the back of your eye, making things sharp and clear again.
In-Office Dry Eye Treatments
If dry eye is the cause of your blurriness, several in-office treatments can provide relief. An eye doctor can discuss options that may work for you, such as intense pulsed light (IPL), radiofrequency (RF), BlephEx, or meibomian gland expression.
Lifestyle Tips for Healthy Eyes
You can support your eye health every day. While a visit with an eye doctor can help provide personalized advice for specific conditions, practicing daily habits can help to protect your overall health. These can include things like:
- Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water
- Eat a diet rich in fibre and nutrients
- Wear sunglasses that block UV rays
- Give your eyes regular breaks from screens using the 20-20-20 rule
Thorough Care for Blurry Vision
Blurry vision doesn’t have to be a mystery. The friendly, knowledgeable team in Calgary, Olds, Sundre, and Carstairs are here to help you understand your eye health and discover what can work for your specific needs. Schedule an eye exam to find a path towards more comfortable vision.
