Human beings are a very visual species. Because of this emphasis on eyesight, whenever a person’s vision becomes foggy it can be a very scary experience. If you’ve begun to have a foggy vision, and no matter what you do things don’t quite clear up, you may have a serious problem on your hands. On the other hand, your eyesight may have simply changed to something your glasses aren’t designed to correct. The following are a few possible reasons why your vision may be blurry.
Why is My Vision Blurry?
1. Getting Older
Often, as a person gets older their eyesight deteriorates to some extent. While this process may be very gradual, it may also seem to appear suddenly. In a situation like that, there isn’t much you can do besides employ reading glasses. A similar condition is known as presbyopia, and it consists of a growing problem with focusing as one age. If you have one of these issues, you may simply need to update your eyeglass prescription or get bifocals.
2. Medications
You might be taking one of a number of medications that could be messing with your eyesight. Among these are cortisone, a few antidepressants, an oral contraceptive, or even a medication that treats hypertension. If you’ve been taking a new medication and your vision has worsened considerably since starting it, you might want to look into an alternative if one is available. Sometimes, your blood pressure is the cause of blurry vision, and any medicine that messes with your blood pressure too much can be risky.
3. Forgetting Your Eye Doctor
Going to eye appointments is something you could skip when you were 20 years old, but it isn’t something you want to skip as you get older. While some kinds of issues develop over time and can’t be helped, there is no excuse for neglecting your eye appointments. You may need a new prescription, and it won’t grow on your rose bushes.
Blurry or foggy vision can be downright frightening. When you can’t see properly, everything becomes strange. It may even be difficult for you to do basic everyday tasks. However, you can still identify and correct most any kind of problem before it becomes worse. You may even be able to fix the problem with relative ease. Whatever you do, don’t dare ignore the problem and simply hope it will go away. Learn what’s wrong, and then get to work on fixing the problem as soon as you can.
How to Keep Your Eyes Healthy: DO!
Eat Nutritious Food – A healthy diet that comprises of fresh fruits and vegetables is sufficient to maintain healthy eyesight. Vitamin A is considered good if you want to avoid vitamin A deficiency-related diseases such as xerophthalmia (dry eyes) or night blindness. Carrots are famous food for healthy eyes and are commonly known to contain vitamin A in comparatively larger quantities. Certain foods that comprise antioxidant properties and rich in minerals are considered to reduce the risk of macular degeneration.
Protect Eyes From UV Rays – The sun harms our eyesight much more than we can figure. The harmful UVA, UVB and even UVC apart from the High Energy Visible Rays are responsible for a plethora of eyesight problems. Constant exposure to these lights might damage the retina leading to macular degeneration and cataracts. Children are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of sun rays as their eyes are not sufficiently matured to screen the sun rays. Moreover, they are exposed to the sun more than adults. Therefore, prevention is better than cure. Invest in good UV protecting sunglasses for children and adults.
Enroll For Regular Eyesight Checkup – The rule of thumb is to check eyesight every two years. The checkup should be done every year after 60 years or whenever a problem crops up especially for persons suffering from diabetes. Children’s eyes should be examined at the age of 3 months, then at 3 years and once again before starting school to rule out a weakening of vision. A complete eye exam eliminates the possibilities of eyes related diseases affecting a person suddenly as all the problems; if any, become visible during the comprehensive eye check-up.
How to Have Healthy Eyes For Life: DON’T!
Strain Your Eyes Too Much – People who work long hours at the computer find that their eyesight worsens at a faster rate. This happens as the eyes are overstrained and not given rest at a regular interval. Do simple eye, back, and neck-related exercises to avoid strain and pain. It is a good idea to focus on a distant object 20 feet away for 20 seconds after every 20 minutes to give your eyes some rest. At the same time wear antiglare glasses to reduce the strain.
Mow Lawn, Play Sports Without Protective Eyewear – Some activities are risky enough to cause eye damage. They include moving the lawn, sports (football, squash, tennis, skiing, scuba diving, etc), chopping wood, welding, working on the shop floor in a chemical factory to name a few. These activities require that you wear protective eye gear; especially the polycarbonate one to avoid either getting hit by a particle or causing eye damage due to harsh reflections.
Rub Or Remove Foreign Objects From Eyes On Your Own – Sometimes we get hit by stray minuscule insects while doing an outdoor activity, or we might catch an infection during a specific season. The natural tendency during such times is to rub the eyes and removing the object lodged in our eyes. Do not do this as the problem might get aggravated. First aid involves washing the eye with running water if something is lodged in the eye. If it’s an infection the best thing to do is visit the doctor for medical prescription and rule out the possibility of more serious damage or disease.
Apart from these dos and don’ts, make it a habit to consult your medical practitioner at least once in two years to rule out diseases. At the same time eat healthily, exercise your eyes and adopt good habits to keep your eyes in sparkling condition. After all, they are the window to your soul and as Henry David Thoreau expressed ‘The jewel of your body.’