Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes and SymptomsCausesRisk FactorsWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderDiagnosisSymptom Management at Home
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types and Symptoms
Causes
Risk Factors
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Diagnosis
Symptom Management at Home
Visual distortions can affect your ability to see normally. Often calledvisual disturbances, they can cause changes in eyesight, such as blurry or wavy vision.These distortions can have varying causes. For example, wavy lines may be due to a problem with the retina, while an autoimmune condition or simple astigmatism may cause blurry vision.
Visual distortions are things that affect your eyes and vision. There are different types of visual distortions, including:
When Is a Visual Distortion an Emergency?
Causes and Associated Conditions
Different medical conditions can cause visual distortions. Make sure to talk to your eye doctor about any new or changing visual disturbances.
Common eye-related causes and associated conditions include:
Other non-eye-related causes and related conditions include:
Why did my vision suddenly get distorted?Sudden visual distortion can happen because of an eye injury or infection, but certain medical conditions can also cause a sudden change in your vision. Any sudden change should be treated as an urgent reason to see your eye care professional.
Why did my vision suddenly get distorted?
Sudden visual distortion can happen because of an eye injury or infection, but certain medical conditions can also cause a sudden change in your vision. Any sudden change should be treated as an urgent reason to see your eye care professional.
Although it is not possible to prevent all types of visual distortions, there are certain risk factors that increase your chance of having eye problems, such as:
Verywell / Jiaqi Zhou
There are certain conditions that specifically warrant a visit to an eye doctor. These symptoms include:
If you have high blood pressure, you should also be mindful of changes to your vision. In rare cases, the sudden onset of very high blood pressure can cause changes to the eye and changes to your vision. You may experience dim vision, loss of vision, or double vision. If you notice any of these changes you should seek immediate medical care.
Ongoing Vision Care
If you have diabetes or a family history of diabetes, your healthcare provider may also suggest that you get an eye exam and monitor your eye health.
Tests and Treatments
When you visit your eye doctor, they will examine you for any changes to your vision. They will likely administer an Amsler grid test. This is also a test that you can do at home. The grid is used to detect the presence ofmetamorphopsia, or visual distortion.
To do anAmsler grid test, you look at a grid to detect blind spots or vision distortion. Some people take the test every day at home to detect vision changes. If you notice that any areas of the grid start to appear blurry, wavy, or blank, you should reach out to your eye care provider.
Your doctor may also conduct a dilated eye exam, in which they use eye drops to widen the pupil. This test helps your eyecare professional look for signs of cataracts or other problems.
Your doctor may also do other tests during your visit, including:
Your treatment options depend on the cause of the blurry vision. They may include:
There are some situations when you might be able to manage distorted vision at home. Always be sure to discuss any new changes to your vision with your healthcare provider. But in some cases, your provider may tell you that vision changes can be managed at home.
For example, if you have diabetes and you notice blurry vision, it could indicate changes in your blood sugar levels (from low to normal). When blood sugar changes quickly the shape of the eye lens can also change temporarily and cause blurry vision. However, your vision should clear up once blood sugar stabilizes.
If you experience blurry vision due to a visual migraine, rest is generally advised. Some people also find relief when they eat something, consume caffeine, or take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
If your blurry vision is due to dry eye, there are over-the-counter products that can help, including artificial tears, moisturizing ointments, and gels. You might also want to avoid smoke, wind, and air conditioning and use a humidifier in your home.
Summary
Visual distortions are symptoms, such as halos or wavy lines, that affect your ability to see. Many medical conditions can cause them. Visual distortions may not always be a sign of a serious problem, but they still should be taken seriously. You should talk to your doctor and get an eye exam.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Vision problems.Johns Hopkins.Neuro-visual disorders.Medline Plus.High blood pressure and eye diseaseWiecek E, Lashkari K, Dakin SC, Bex P.A statistical analysis of metamorphopsia in 7106 amsler grids.Ophthalmology. 2015 Feb;122(2):431-3. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2014.09.006National Institutes of Health. News in Health.Cloudy Vision.Salmon JF.Kanski’s Clinical Ophthalmology E-Book: A Systematic Approach. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2019.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Diabetes and Your Eyes: What You Need to Know.Brigham and Women’s Hospital.Visual MigraineNational Eye Institute.Dry Eye.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Vision problems.Johns Hopkins.Neuro-visual disorders.Medline Plus.High blood pressure and eye diseaseWiecek E, Lashkari K, Dakin SC, Bex P.A statistical analysis of metamorphopsia in 7106 amsler grids.Ophthalmology. 2015 Feb;122(2):431-3. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2014.09.006National Institutes of Health. News in Health.Cloudy Vision.Salmon JF.Kanski’s Clinical Ophthalmology E-Book: A Systematic Approach. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2019.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Diabetes and Your Eyes: What You Need to Know.Brigham and Women’s Hospital.Visual MigraineNational Eye Institute.Dry Eye.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Vision problems.Johns Hopkins.Neuro-visual disorders.Medline Plus.High blood pressure and eye diseaseWiecek E, Lashkari K, Dakin SC, Bex P.A statistical analysis of metamorphopsia in 7106 amsler grids.Ophthalmology. 2015 Feb;122(2):431-3. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2014.09.006National Institutes of Health. News in Health.Cloudy Vision.Salmon JF.Kanski’s Clinical Ophthalmology E-Book: A Systematic Approach. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2019.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Diabetes and Your Eyes: What You Need to Know.Brigham and Women’s Hospital.Visual MigraineNational Eye Institute.Dry Eye.
MedlinePlus.Vision problems.
Johns Hopkins.Neuro-visual disorders.
Medline Plus.High blood pressure and eye disease
Wiecek E, Lashkari K, Dakin SC, Bex P.A statistical analysis of metamorphopsia in 7106 amsler grids.Ophthalmology. 2015 Feb;122(2):431-3. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2014.09.006
National Institutes of Health. News in Health.Cloudy Vision.
Salmon JF.Kanski’s Clinical Ophthalmology E-Book: A Systematic Approach. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2019.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Diabetes and Your Eyes: What You Need to Know.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital.Visual Migraine
National Eye Institute.Dry Eye.
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