A Simple Guide to Understanding and Treating Blurred Vision in One Eye

A Brief on Blurred Vision

Blurry vision is the condition of experiencing unclear eyesight with difficulty in seeing objects with a hazy or out-of-focus look. It can be due to tiredness, excessive screen time, dry eyes, or underlying refractive errors. However, at times, it can be serious when you experience it with a single eye. Especially the blurred vision in one eye suddenly indicates a severe eye malfunction and requires immediate medical help.  

What Is Acute Blurred Vision in One Eye?

A sudden, short-lived, noticeable, temporary blurred vision in one eye cannot be ignored. Ideally, the light enters the human eyes and is refracted onto the retina. The retina is a layer of cells that sends neuronic signals to the brain, which are turned into the images that we see. Refractive errors are a primary cause of the gradual development of blurry eyesight. However, experiencing blurred vision in one eye all of a sudden should be treated as a medical emergency.

Although, it can lead to permanent loss of vision. Don’t hesitate to see an ophthalmologist immediately, especially when you notice any of the following symptoms accompanying the vision loss. 

Sudden Blurry Vision in One Eye Symptoms: When To See the Doctor?

Below are the key signs you should watch for when you experience blurred vision in one eye.

• Blurred vision in one eye with floaters like threads and dots drifting across the vision field with sudden flashes of light.   
• Blurred vision in one eye and headaches, with frequent throbbing pain in the part of the head along with deep strain in the eyes.
• Blurred vision in one eye and light sensitivity with difficulty seeing the light, along with sharp pain and discomfort.
• Blurry vision with halos or rings of light around bright objects alongside blurry vision.  
• Redness and blurred vision in one eye combined with teary eyes, can be a sign of serious conjunctivitis. Although conjunctivitis is not a serious eye problem and has a curable solution, it can rarely cause permanent vision loss when left untreated. 
• Blurry vision in one eye high blood pressure can damage the retina’s sensitive blood vessels, causing loss of vision for a lifetime. 
• Persistent blurred vision in one eye no other symptoms.  While it's less severe, it cannot be ignored. It can be an indication of something not going well with the eye. A developing cataract, refractive errors, or an abrading cornea are the probable reasons. Seeing the ophthalmologist at the earliest can help prevent the condition from worsening.   
• Blurry vision in one eye after injury needs immediate medical intervention as it can be a sign of severe internal eye injury. 

Dealing with any of these symptoms signals a critical medical problem. While a few worsen with time, some are indicative of systemic organ system issues. Early medical intervention prevents the issue from worsening while preserving the eye and overall medical health.

Imagine you woke up with blurry vision in one eye. You might be worried about needing an immediate checkup. Don't panic—it might not be an emergency. The urgency depends on the specific symptoms you experience. Below, we briefed on the less severe conditions causing blurry vision. 

Less Severe Conditions of Blurred Vision in One Eye Only

The following blurred vision complaints in one eye cannot be severe. They are temporary and fade away with prompt actions. These include: 

• Blurred vision in one eye after sleeping: A hazy vision after sleep cannot be a serious issue if the symptoms last for a short while after waking. Typically, this occurs due to dry eyes or sleeping on the face.  The cornea swells up during sleep in these conditions, causing temporary blurry eyesight. However, see your doctor if the symptoms continue for a few days or weeks, as corneal dystrophy or eyelid problems can also cause this. 
• Blurred vision in one eye dizziness: Blurry and hazy eyesight, along with dizziness, can be due to migraines or inner ear problems. A problem with the inner ear balance system can cause lightheadedness in patients. Blurred vision in one eye diabetes patients experience the symptoms when the blood sugar levels drop. A fall in the body’s sugar levels impacts the brain’s visual processing, causing temporary hazy eyesight. The symptoms usually reverse when the blood sugar levels return to normal. 
• Blurred vision in one eye dehydration: Dehydration also causes blurred vision because the tear glands produce less liquid. The eye tissues lack fluids and experience temporary dryness and irritation. Hydrating yourself can reverse the symptoms.   
• Anemia blurred vision in one eye: Low iron levels in the anemic conditions of the body cause lower hemoglobin and lack of oxygen supply to the body parts, including the eyes. This indeed affects the eyesight temporarily, however, a chronic and prolonged anemic condition can cause severe medical issues. 
• Blurred vision in one eye anxiety: Stress-induced blurry, distorted, or foggy vision is due to the flight and fright hormonal response. While deep breathing or meditation can manage hazy eyesight due to short-lived panic attacks, chronic stress cannot be ignored. 
• Blurry vision in one while pregnant: Few candidates experience this due to hormonal fluctuations causing fluid retention, which has a significant impact on corneal thickness. However, the other allied symptoms of headache or blood pressure should not be ignored. 

Note that blurred vision due to these conditions resolves over time, offering relief. However, if symptoms persist despite proper care, it indicates serious underlying eye problems. Are you wondering about the underlying cause for sudden hazy eyesight in one eye? We elaborated on this in the upcoming section. 

Why Would My Vision Suddenly Go Blurry in One Eye?

A sudden blurred vision in one eye for a few minutes can be serious. It can be due to conditions like stroke, retinal detachment, glaucoma, severe conjunctivitis, corneal abrasion, or migraine. Below we elaborated on each reason in detail.

1. Stroke: The sudden loss of vision or blurred eyesight due to a stroke is a serious issue. The thin retina sends signals to the brain through the optic nerve, which is crucial for vision. A stroke occurs when blood flowing to parts of the brain is obstructed by a clot or damaged blood vessels. When a stroke disrupts the normal blood flow to the brain areas involved in visual processing, it can have a profound impact on vision. In some cases, this results in permanent vision loss.^[1] 
2. Corneal abrasion: The cornea is a clear, thin layer covering the front portion of the human eye. It refracts light into the eye and aids in normal vision. An abraded or damaged cornea causes blurred vision in one eye due to the inability to refract light effectively. Corneal scratches can occur due to an injury to the eye, wearing contact lenses, or dry eyes. ^[2]
3. Retinal detachment: Retina is placed behind the iris and the eye lens, and retinal detachment occurs when it is pulled away from its original position. In normal conditions, the refracted light falls on the retina, which converts it to electric signals and sends them to the brain. A detached retina loses its blood supply and cannot send electric signals. This can be gradual or sudden and is associated with blurred vision in one eye with floaters, flashes, or shadows. Uncontrolled diabetes, a history of recent retinal surgery, or ocular degeneration are the probable causes of this condition. It requires immediate intervention as prolonged lack of blood supply to the human retina can lead to permanent loss of vision. ^[3]
4. Glaucoma: This condition occurs due to the building of blood pressure in one eye due to its blocked drain canals and abnormal drainage system. The pressure build-up damages the optic nerve and requires immediate attention. Otherwise, the damage would lead to permanent vision loss. One will notice eye pain, pressure, and halos, along with sudden blurred vision in one eye.^[4]
5. Macular degeneration: The age-related degeneration of the macula (a portion of the retina controlling the central vision) causes blurred vision in one eye along with halos and sudden flashes of light.  

Is blurred vision affecting you or someone you care about? It’s important to get to the root cause. Sign up with Envoy Health for a thorough and compassionate diagnosis—because your vision and peace of mind matter.

How To Fix Blurry Vision in One Eye?

Knowing what can cause sudden blurry vision in one eye is the primary step of your treatment process. Your ophthalmologist will conduct an eye examination and specific diagnostic tests to know the exact cause of hazy vision. They will try to understand your eye and overall health condition by asking a few questions. These include but are not limited to:

• How does the blurry vision seem to you?
• Do you find any other symptoms along with hazy vision, like floaters, halos, squiggly lines, headaches, and dizziness?
• If you had blurred vision in one eye after hitting head, a bad accident, or a head injury? 
• Do you suffer from any other medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or anemia?

This will help your ophthalmologist to rule out the preliminary cause and act accordingly. They will identify the exact cause and the severity of the issue by performing diagnostic tests. These may include but are not limited to

• Visual acuity test
• Split lamp test
• Ocular pressure measurement 
• Refraction test 
• Blood tests
• Neuroimaging 

Your ophthalmologist will identify the exact cause and its severity based on the symptoms and diagnostic tests. They will suggest you with the appropriate treatment plan. 

Blurred Vision in One Eye Treatment

The ophthalmologist will suggest medications, glasses, contact lenses, or surgical procedures depending on the cause and severity of blurred vision in one eye. Hazy vision in one eye due to refractive errors requires the wearing of glasses or contact lenses. Blurry vision problems of dry eye are treated with eye drops. Severe issues with an incidence of causing vision loss and those that require immediate attention are intervened by surgical procedures. Some of the popular eye surgeries to correct vision problems (that are sudden), especially for one eye, include:

• Cataract: Removal of the natural lens that developed an opaque, cloudy cataract and placing an artificial lens.  
• LASIK (Laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis): Surgical procedure using computer-controlled lasers to reshape the cornea and improve vision.
• PRK (Photorefractive keratectomy): Surgical procedure to reshape the cornea using computer-controlled pulses of light. 
• Refractive lens exchange: Replacing the patient's damaged lens with an intraocular artificial lens.  

How To Fix Blurry Vision Naturally?

Less severe blurred vision in one eye do not require surgical intervention and is treated at home. Blurred vision in one eye home remedies include:

• Reducing eye strain by wearing sunglasses and adjusting screen brightness and font size.
• Get adequate sleep and take breaks from the screen to avoid continuous eye strain.
• Rely on a healthy diet rich in vitamin A and other minerals. Include green leafy vegetables and fish. Provide the body with enough hydration by drinking lots of water. 
• Include stress-reducing breathing exercises into the daily routine. 

These lifestyle changes not only treat less severe vision problems. They help you protect your eye health by preventing eye issues on a long-term basis. While blurred vision in one eye may seem less severe, it can be an indication of a serious underlying concern. 

Acting promptly can protect your vision and prevent complications—don't wait to seek professional advice! Sign up with Envoy Health and reach out to the finest ophthalmologists.  See the world clearly with expert care you can trust!

References 

1. Visual Symptoms In Acute Stroke – A Systematic Review Of Observational Studies
2. Patching For Corneal Abrasion
3. Detached Retina
4. Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma