What Causes Sudden Vision Changes?
Environmental and lifestyle factors can contribute to your vision. Computer use is one of the more common ones. It is possible to develop computer vision syndrome, or digital eye strain, when you spend too much time on your computer or other digital screen. When you spend long stretches of time on the screen, you will notice insufficient tear flow, blurry vision, and tension in your eyes.
These sudden vision changes often improve, and symptoms subside after resting your eyes for a while. However, if they persist, you need to see an eye doctor to rule out any undetected refractive errors such as myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) or astigmatism (curvature).
Focusing on a task for an extended period can also cause blurry vision. When you have been driving for hours through the night and road signs become blurred, this is simply because you have overexerted your vision.
When Should You Be Concerned About Sudden Vision Changes?
Ocular pain or cloudy spots in the eye could indicate eye disease and you should see an optometrist immediately. It is also recommended that you contact your optometrist if you experience repeated vision changes without warning. This could be an indicator or something serious like hypertension (high blood pressure) or diabetes – both of which can have serious and lasting effects on your retinal blood vessels and overall sight.
“Floaters” could also signify a problem – especially if they’re accompanied by light flashes. This could be a warning of imminent retinal detachment.
Changes in your peripheral vision could signify glaucoma. Jagged lines in your immediate field of view should also be reported to your optometrist without delay as this could indicate AMD (age-related macular degeneration), which can lead to total vision loss.
If your vision has deteriorated very suddenly, it’s crucial that you visit an optometrist as soon as possible. Suddenly deteriorating vision is often an indicator of a serious, underlying condition, ranging from stroke to brain inflammation and even glaucoma.
A sudden change in vision will not necessarily cause blindness but ignoring these changes will dramatically increase the likelihood of total vision loss. Listen to your body; it often gives you warnings in good time.
The bottom line is: if you experience sudden vision changes, make an appointment online and see your 3 for 1 Glasses optometrist as soon as possible.