9 Common Causes of Blurry Vision in One Eye You Should Know

If you experience blurry vision in one eye, it’s important to determine the cause so that you can receive the proper treatment.

Jump to Key Takeaways.

1. Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) leads to a loss of central vision (the part that allows you to see shapes, colors, and detail). It results from damage to the macula, a light-sensitive tissue in the retina (located in the back of the eye). AMD is one of the leading causes of vision loss among those 50 and older.

Symptoms include:

• Blurry vision
• Having blind spots in your vision
• Straight lines that look wavy
• Trouble recognizing faces

Although you can’t regain vision lost to AMD, there are medicines that can help preserve the vision you still have.

2. Angle-Closure Glaucoma

Angle-closure or narrow-angle glaucoma is a type of glaucoma that develops quickly and can result in vision loss if not treated rapidly. It is considered a medical emergency. It happens when the iris, or colored part of your eye, blocks the drainage angle, leading to a dangerous rise in eye pressure.

It typically happens in one eye at a time, and symptoms include:

• Headache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Severe eye pain
• Sudden blurry vision in one eye

Eye doctors can use medicated eye drops, laser treatments, surgery, or a combination of these to treat angle-closure glaucoma. Getting fast treatment is the best way to restore vision and prevent further vision loss.

3. Cataracts

A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens. It happens to many people over time due to age or an eye injury. It can lead to symptoms such as:

• Blurry vision
• Faded colors
• Seeing a halo around lights.

Sometimes, a cataract will only develop in one eye and not the other. Or, it will develop in the second eye later on.

Cataract surgery removes a cataract and can help improve blurry vision.

4. Diabetes

When your blood sugar gets too high, it can cause swelling of eye tissues, resulting in temporary blurred vision. If diabetes is undiagnosed or untreated, it can lead to further eye complications that cause blurry vision.

For example, diabetic retinopathy happens when the blood vessels in the retina leak or abnormal blood vessels grow in the retina. Diabetic retinopathy can lead to severe conditions like diabetic macular edema, which occurs when someone with diabetes experiences retinal swelling. This swelling causes blurry vision, making objects appear wavy and colors look faded.

Eye doctors can use medication injections, laser treatment, or eye surgery to help control diabetic retinopathy. Treatment may not reverse current damage, but it can help slow down future damage.

5. Eye Stroke

An eye stroke is a serious cause of vision loss in just one eye. It happens when specific tissues in the optic nerve (which connects the eye to the brain) do not get enough blood flow. Often, this can occur because of a blood clot in one of the eye’s arteries.

Some symptoms of eye stroke include:

• A shadow in your vision
• Loss of light sensitivity
• Sudden vision loss with no pain

The treatment varies depending on the type of eye stroke. No matter the cause, seeking emergency treatment is crucial for sudden vision loss in one eye. Prompt treatment can help save your eyesight.

Note that an ischemic stroke—one that affects the whole body, not just the eye—can also lead to blurry vision in one eye. When this happens, along with confusion and sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the body, call 911 for immediate medical attention.

6. Ocular Migraine

An ocular migraine is a headache and a vision loss in one eye lasting approximately one hour. It’s usually associated with reduced blood flow in the retina and is more common in people prone to regular migraines.

Symptoms of an ocular migraine include:

• A blind spot in your central vision that can become larger
• Head pain
• Temporary changes to your side vision
• Vision loss or blurry vision that lasts under an hour (headache pain typically lasts longer)

Ocular migraine treatment involves the types of medicines typically used for a migraine, including over-the-counter treatments like Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprofen).

Schedule an urgent visit to an eye doctor if you experience sudden vision changes in one eye that you haven’t experienced before. Although an ocular migraine isn’t life-threatening, you will want to rule out other, more serious causes.

7. Pink Eye

Pink eye is inflammation or infection in the conjunctiva, the membrane covering the eye’s outer layer, and a common cause of blurry vision. Pink eye causes symptoms such as:

• Blurry vision
• Itchiness in the eye
• Pain
• Redness
• Swelling

It’s possible to have pink eye in just one eye. Although you can treat pink eye at home without medicine, you should see a healthcare professional, like an eye doctor, if you have blurry vision and other pink eye symptoms.

8. Refractive Error

A refractive error is a vision problem caused when the eye doesn’t bend light as it typically should. This leads to blurry vision without the aid of glasses or contact lenses. A refractive error can occur in one eye only.

Common refractive errors are:

• Farsightedness: The ability to see clearly only when objects are far away.
• Nearsightedness: The ability to see clearly only when objects are close.
• Astigmatism: An abnormal shape of the eye’s lens and cornea, leading to blurry vision both close-up and at a distance
• Presbyopia: Natural change in the lens with age that makes it harder to see while reading or viewing other objects close-up.

An eye doctor can diagnose a refractive error with special tests and determine if you should use glasses or contact lenses to help improve your blurry vision in one eye.

9. Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment occurs when the retina moves away from its usual position in the back of the eye. It is a medical emergency that typically occurs in one eye.

Symptoms of a retinal detachment include:

• Having what appears to be a dark shadow on the sides of your vision or in the middle
• Light flashes
• Seeing small dark spots or lines frequently
• Sudden blurry vision in one eye

Treatments for retinal detachment include surgery to help fix or repair tears and reattach the retina to the back of your eye. Seek emergency care as soon as symptoms occur to ensure effective treatment.

Key Takeaways

• Macular degeneration, angle closure glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetes are some causes of blurry vision in one eye.
• When in doubt, set an appointment with an eye doctor to determine the cause of your symptoms.
• Seek immediate medical attention if your vision suddenly becomes blurry or gets worse over time.