Vision Changes
Alternate Names : Changes in Vision
Changes in vision can range from mild to severe, and may be
lasting or only temporary. For example, a person may become completely
blind or may have poor vision only under certain conditions.
What is going on in the body?
Common vision changes can include - but are not limited to:
blurry vision
double vision
cloudy vision
Vision changes can be caused by
anything from normal aging to life-threatening conditions. The exact changes
in the body will depend on the specific cause and type of vision change.
What are the causes and risks of the condition?
The possible causes of vision changes include:
refractive errors, such as being
nearsighted,
farsighted
or having presbyopia.
Presbyopia is when a person has a hard time seeing things up close, due to age-related
changes in the eye. This condition affects most people over age 50.
It's the reason older people often need bifocals or reading glasses.
infections of the eye, such as conjunctivitis
or keratitis
cataracts,
a common condition in older adults caused by changes in the lens of the eye
glaucoma,
a condition caused by increased pressure within the eye
damage or inflammation of the nerves of the eye
damage to the vision areas of the brain, due to a
stroke
or brain tumor
damage to the retina, the part of the eye that is similar to the film
inside a camera. The retina can be damaged in
diabetes,
macular degeneration,
or retinal detachment.
trauma, or injury, to the eye
strabismus,
sometimes known as lazy eye, in which the eyes don't line up properly
temporal arteritis, an inflammation of the arteries that supply blood to
the eye
vitamin A
deficiency
medicines, such as the heart medicine digitalis, or the antibiotic
ethambutol
Other causes of vision changes are possible. Sometimes,
no cause can be found.
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