- 02 Apr 2009
Description and Possible Medical Problems
We are all affected by blurred vision at one time or another. Fatigue, poor light, and alcohol can all make it difficult to focus clearly. And when you wear eyeglasses or contacts and it’s time for a stronger prescription, your vision may be blurred more frequently.
If objects occasionally appear blurry to you and your eyesight is otherwise good, whether it’s corrected by lenses or not, the condition is usually temporary and easy to treat. Blurriness is usually due to changes in the pupil, the part of the eye that is the first to react when our line of vision changes in some way.
The pupil is a black disk in the center of the colored part of the eye, which is called the iris. The pupil’s function is to regulate the amount of light that enters the eye, and it is controlled by involuntary muscles that respond to stimuli. Around the age of 50, as is true of many other parts of your body, the pupil’s reflexes start to decrease somewhat; it may take just a bit longer for the pupil to dilate or contract in response to the amount of light it can detect. This slowed reaction due to aging is a given, and there’s nothing you can do to improve it. The pupil can also become wider or more narrow in response to certain medications, such as atropine, which is prescribed to calm an irritable or spastic bowel, pilocarpine, or cocaine, as well as when you’re physically or mentally excited.
With many of the problems that occur in the eye, blurred vision is one of several symptoms including headache, dizziness, and bright flashes of light. However, if blurred vision appears by itself slowly over time with no other symptoms, the problem is usually easy to fix. The solution will probably lie in your glasses or contact lenses.
Treatment
The first thing to do if your vision is blurry is to check your glasses or contacts to see if they’re dirty or smeared. Frequently, blurred vision is caused by a problem with your corrective lenses, whether they’ve been scratched or just need cleaning. If you’ve worn the same nondis-posable pair of contact lenses for more than a year, the protein buildup on the lenses can be so extensive that even the recommended weekly enzyme cleaners won’t remove it. Sometimes a slight tear in a contact lens can also cause blurred vision, so it’s a good idea to check for this as well.
If you wear glasses, examine the lenses for scratches. Even scratch-resistant lenses can become marred.
After you clean your glasses or contact lenses thoroughly, your vision should be crystal clear. If, however, your vision is still blurry, see your eye doctor. All you may need is a stronger prescription.
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- Tags: General health
- Category: General health