Eyesight Issues

Sudden or gradual eyesight issues can be symptoms of eye diseases, diabetes or aging. Medications, fatigue and migraines can also affect eyesight. Report all vision changes to your primary care physician and ophthalmologist and get regular checkups.

Blurred Vision

• The most common eyesight issue is blurred vision, or a lack of sharpness when looking at objects either near or far. Blurred vision is often a symptom of myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism or presbyopia. Nearly every person experiences presbyopia, which is a loss of elasticity in the eye lens that makes it more difficult to read the newspaper when held too close. Other possible causes of blurred vision are macular degeneration, trauma to the cornea, fungal eye infection and photokeratitis.

Night Blindness

• A person experiencing night blindness will have trouble seeing in low light situations. When walking from a bright room into a dark room, like into a movie theater, the eyes do not adjust, or take much longer to adjust to the light conditions. Night blindness makes it difficult to drive at night, see stars or walk through dark rooms. Night blindness can be a side effect of myopia or an inherited, untreatable condition called retinitis pigmentosa. Cataracts can also be a cause of night blindness. This is a common eye problem for elderly patients. Other symptoms of cataracts are cloudy vision and halos appearing around lights at night.

Halos

• Cataracts are just one eye issue that causes halos. Migraine headaches are sometimes preceded by spots of light or halos. Some drugs or contact problems can cause halos. Problems with the cornea, such as edema swelling or scar tissue, can cause the eye to see halos.

Blind Spots

• Blind spots in your vision are reason to see an ophthalmologist immediately. Glaucoma can happen gradually or suddenly, and is a leading cause of blindness. Diabetic retinopathy may also present itself with shadows or blind spots.

Floaters

• Floaters, a gray or black dot, squiggly line, cloud or other shape that floats across the line of vision, are normal. These are gelatinous particles floating on the liquid vitreous in the eye. Floaters are more common as the eye ages. Floaters are not a cause for concern unless many appear suddenly, possibly accompanied by flashes of light. This could be a symptom of retinal detachment.