Blurry vision may occur suddenly or may result from a gradual decline in vision. Any kind of vision change require evaluation from an eye doctor. The doctor will examine the eyes, dilating both pupils to allow a clear view into the back of the eyes. In order to prevent the possibility of permanent damage to the eyes, a person experiencing blurry vision should discuss symptoms with her eye doctor.
Vision
In some cases, a person with blurry vision may simply need an updated eyeglass prescription. As part of the eye examination, the doctor will place a machine called a phoropter against the patient's cheeks. This machine contains a combination of lenses to make up different glasses prescriptions. The doctor will ask the patient which prescription looks best, and, in the end, may discover that vision improves with prescription eye wear. For instance, if reading vision begins to blur when a person is in her 40s, she may have a condition called presbyopia, says MedlinePlus. This results from the eyes' inability to focus on close objects, and occurs in most middle-aged adults. Reading glasses typically resolve the problem.
Comfort
Blurriness may accompany other symptoms, such as eye discomfort. This may indicate the presence of an eye condition that requires medical treatment. One condition that may cause pain, irritation and blurry vision is uveitis, or inflammation of the middle layer of the eye, says MayoClinic.com. This condition requires immediate attention in order to prevent lasting damage to the eye. A doctor will often prescribe eye drops to treat the inflammation.
Disease
Some non-treatable diseases, such as macular degeneration, cause blurry vision. This condition results when the macula, an area on the inside lining of the eye, deteriorates. The macula controls the central vision used for tasks such as reading and face recognition, explains the National Eye Institute. When the macula breaks down, central vision will blur, often appearing as a smudge in the middle of a person's face. Vision changes from macular degeneration will not improve with new eyeglasses or prescription eye drops. Other eye diseases such as glaucoma will slowly deteriorate side vision, but the disease may slow and have no noticeable vision changes if the patient uses eye drops to lower eye pressure. As such, a person with vision changes must have an eye exam to determine the cause and necessary treatments for the blurriness and any other eye symptoms.
