Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Causes Blurry Vision in One Eye?When to See a DoctorFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Causes Blurry Vision in One Eye?
When to See a Doctor
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be alarming to experience blurry vision, whether it’s gradual or sudden. With causes ranging from mild to severe, it’s can help to understand what might be behind things looking fuzzy out of one of your eyes.
The most common cause of blurred vision is a refractive error. This can cause near-sightedness or far-sightedness.This cause isn’t an emergency, but blurred vision in one eye could be due to glaucoma, a detached retina, an “eye stroke,” and other causes. Particularly if symptoms come on suddenly, you should seek medical attention right away.
Manyconditions can result in blurry visionin either one or both eyes. This article will feature conditions that affect only one eye.
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They may sound similar, but there’s a difference between blurryand cloudy vision:
Amblyopia
Also known as “lazy eye,” amblyopia causes blurry vision in only the affected eye.
Other symptoms include:
Some children are born with amblyopia, while others develop the condition later. It’s the most common cause of vision loss in kids.
Adie’s Pupil
Adie’s pupilis a neurological disorder where one pupil doesn’t react normally to light. The affected pupil is typically larger than normal and doesn’t get smaller in the presence of bright light.
When the following symptoms accompany the abnormal pupil size and blurred vision in one eye, it is known as Adie’s syndrome:
While there’s no cure for the condition, it can be treated using:
Optic Neuritis
Optic neuritis is optic nerve inflammation and typically only affects one eye. The exact cause of this is unknown.
Optic neuritisalso affects about half ofpeople with multiple sclerosis (MS), a progressive neurologic disorder. It’s frequently the first symptom of the condition.
In addition to blurry vision in one eye, other symptoms of optic neuritis may include:
The symptoms can vary significantly, depending on the extent of the inflammation of the optic nerve. If blurry vision becomes vision loss, it typically peaks within a few days and starts improving within 4 weeks to 12 weeks.
In some cases, a doctor may prescribe steroids (usually injected into a vein) to treat optic neuritis. However, the condition will often go away on its own without treatment.
Eye Stroke
The two types of RAOs are:
In addition to sudden, painless, blurred vision in one eye, an eye stroke can also result in sudden vision loss. This can occur in all or part of one eye.
Other symptoms can include:
There is no effective treatment for this condition. The most important thing is to make sure you don’t develop a cerebral artery infarction or a stroke.
If discovered early enough, helpful methods include:
Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy
More men than women develop this eye disease. The condition is painless and doesn’t usually come with other symptoms.
There are currently no effective treatments for Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, but antioxidant supplements are sometimes used. Scientists are working on genetic therapy treatments.
Anytime you experience blurred vision in one eye (or both eyes), it’s time tosee an eye doctor.
One eye can develop nearsightedness or farsightedness while the other retains its full vision. Sometimes, blurry vision in one eye can be diagnosed with an eye exam and corrected using glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery.
When Is Blurred Vision in One Eye Considered an Emergency?If the onset of blurred vision in one eye is sudden, it’s good to seek emergency medical treatment.The same goes if you lose your vision in the eye altogether.Also, if other symptoms accompany it, it could be a sign of an underlying condition.Other concerning symptoms include:Eye painHalos around lightsDouble visionNumbness or weakness on only one side of your bodyAn extremely painful headacheDizzinessConfusionLosing your ability to speakThe sensation of a shade being pulled over your eyesThe sensation of a curtain being drawn from the side, above, or below
When Is Blurred Vision in One Eye Considered an Emergency?
If the onset of blurred vision in one eye is sudden, it’s good to seek emergency medical treatment.The same goes if you lose your vision in the eye altogether.Also, if other symptoms accompany it, it could be a sign of an underlying condition.Other concerning symptoms include:Eye painHalos around lightsDouble visionNumbness or weakness on only one side of your bodyAn extremely painful headacheDizzinessConfusionLosing your ability to speakThe sensation of a shade being pulled over your eyesThe sensation of a curtain being drawn from the side, above, or below
If the onset of blurred vision in one eye is sudden, it’s good to seek emergency medical treatment.
The same goes if you lose your vision in the eye altogether.
Also, if other symptoms accompany it, it could be a sign of an underlying condition.
Other concerning symptoms include:
A Word From Verywell
As a general rule, don’t mess around when it comes to your eyesight. This includes experiencing blurry vision in one eye.
If the blurry vision becomes noticeable gradually, it’s likely a normal change in vision that would require some type of corrective or treatment.
Yes. If you experience sudden blurred vision in one eye, seek immediate medical attention.Sudden blurred vision could be a medical emergency and should be evaluated promptly. It can occur with or without pain, headache, dizziness, or numbness or weakness on one side of the body.
Yes. If you experience sudden blurred vision in one eye, seek immediate medical attention.
Sudden blurred vision could be a medical emergency and should be evaluated promptly. It can occur with or without pain, headache, dizziness, or numbness or weakness on one side of the body.
It depends on the cause.The most common cause of blurry vision is a refractive error that causes near-sightedness or far-sightedness.When this happens in one only eye, glasses can be made with one corrective lens and one non-corrective lens. You can also wear a contact lens to correct the blurry eye.Other causes of single-eye blurriness may require medication, laser eye surgery, or other therapies.If you experience blurriness in one or both eyes, see your eye doctor.
It depends on the cause.
The most common cause of blurry vision is a refractive error that causes near-sightedness or far-sightedness.
When this happens in one only eye, glasses can be made with one corrective lens and one non-corrective lens. You can also wear a contact lens to correct the blurry eye.
Other causes of single-eye blurriness may require medication, laser eye surgery, or other therapies.
If you experience blurriness in one or both eyes, see your eye doctor.
It can. When you have high blood pressure for a long time, you can damage the blood vessels in your eyes.This is called hypertensive retinopathy and can lead to blurry vision or complete vision loss.Learn MoreHypertensive Retinopathy vs. Diabetic Retinopathy: What Are the Differences?
It can. When you have high blood pressure for a long time, you can damage the blood vessels in your eyes.This is called hypertensive retinopathy and can lead to blurry vision or complete vision loss.
It can. When you have high blood pressure for a long time, you can damage the blood vessels in your eyes.
This is called hypertensive retinopathy and can lead to blurry vision or complete vision loss.
Learn MoreHypertensive Retinopathy vs. Diabetic Retinopathy: What Are the Differences?
8 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.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About common eye disorders and diseases.National Eye Institute.Amblyopia (lazy eye).American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is Adie’s pupil?Johns Hopkins Medicine.Optic neuritis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is a retinal artery occlusion?American Association of Ophthalmology.Leber hereditary optic neuropathy.MedlinePlus.Vision problems.American Heart Association.How high blood pressure can lead to vision loss.
8 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.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About common eye disorders and diseases.National Eye Institute.Amblyopia (lazy eye).American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is Adie’s pupil?Johns Hopkins Medicine.Optic neuritis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is a retinal artery occlusion?American Association of Ophthalmology.Leber hereditary optic neuropathy.MedlinePlus.Vision problems.American Heart Association.How high blood pressure can lead to vision loss.
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.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About common eye disorders and diseases.National Eye Institute.Amblyopia (lazy eye).American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is Adie’s pupil?Johns Hopkins Medicine.Optic neuritis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is a retinal artery occlusion?American Association of Ophthalmology.Leber hereditary optic neuropathy.MedlinePlus.Vision problems.American Heart Association.How high blood pressure can lead to vision loss.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About common eye disorders and diseases.
National Eye Institute.Amblyopia (lazy eye).
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is Adie’s pupil?
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Optic neuritis.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is a retinal artery occlusion?
American Association of Ophthalmology.Leber hereditary optic neuropathy.
MedlinePlus.Vision problems.
American Heart Association.How high blood pressure can lead to vision loss.
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