Cloudy vision

What is cloudy eyesight?

Cloudy eyesight or vision can often be confused with “blurry vision” but is actually very different. Rather than your eyesight looking blurred or unfocused, when your vision is cloudy, objects can have a milky appearance or as if you were looking through a clouded piece of glass. You may also experience colours looking dull, or you might also see halos around lights.

The severity will depend on the cause or how advanced the condition is and ranges from very minimal to severe and can have a negative impact on your quality of life.

Symptoms

Blurry unfocused landscape with road and vegetation.

Cloudy vision can be caused by a range of different conditions. The combination of symptoms will be different depending on the underlying cause, but can include:

  • Dry eyes
  • Watery eyes
  • Blurred or double vision
  • Halos around lights
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Impaired vision at night or in the dark
  • Red or sore eyes, i.e., bloodshot eyes

When should I see my optometrist?

Having cloudy or slightly cloudy vision occasionally may not be anything to worry about. But you should see your optometrist if the cloudiness lasts for more than a day or two.

You should also see your optometrist if you have any of the following symptoms:

  • Double vision (seeing two images of objects)
  • Sudden eye pain
  • Changes in your vision
  • Severe eye pain
  • A sudden headache
  • A persistent gritty feeling in your eye.
  • Seeing flashes of light
Close-up of an woman eye suffering from cataract.

Causes

The most common cause of cloudy vision is cataracts. This is a very common sight problem mostly found in older people. They happen when the lens inside your eye loses its transparency. At first, they may be undetectable but as they progress and develop, you lose more and more of your sight, making the world look cloudy and unclear.

Most cataracts develop as you age which is why they are mainly in older people. However, cloudy vision can also be a result of changes in or damage to the cornea, (the clear part at the front of your eye) including infections or inflammations. Which can happen at any age.

Other causes of cloudy vision include:

  • Cataracts – clouding of the eye’s lens.
  • Eye infections – such as herpes, syphilis, tuberculosis, and toxoplasmosis can all cause sudden clouding on the eye.
  • Corneal ulcer – a painful open sore on your cornea.
  • Glaucoma – a condition where the optic nerve becomes damaged.
  • Dry eye syndrome – a common condition in which your eyes stop producing tears of good enough quantity or quality.
  • Trauma or injury to the eye – such as blunt eye trauma.
  • Age-related macular degeneration – A deterioration of the retina as you get older.
  • Retinal detachment – a serious condition where the retina detaches from the back of your eye.
  • Diabetes – also known as diabetic retinopathy where the blood vessels supplying your retina become damaged.
  • Eye floaters – happen when the gel inside your eyes deteriorates. Often not serious but become more common as you age.
  • Medications – the side effects of some medications can cause cloudy or blurry vision.

Treatment

Optical equipment used for screening and OCT tests.

Cloudy vision can be a sign of multiple different underlying health conditions as well as a number of eye conditions. So it’s important to get a check-up from your optician if you are experiencing any of the symptoms that can be related to cloudiness. Your optometrist can use an OCT scan alongside a comprehensive eye examination to check your eye health in more detail, and determine whether your cloudy vision is a sign of something more serious.

Takeaway

Although having cloudy eyes occasionally might not be cause of concern, any cloudiness lasting longer than a few days can be an implication of something more serious. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms we mentioned above or are just concerned about your eye health and want to find out more, don’t hesitate to book an appointment with your local Leighton’s branch.

FAQs

If your eyesight goes cloudy every now and then, but clears up quickly, it’s not always cause for concern. However cloudiness in one or both eyes that lasts for more than a day or two can be an indication of a serious underlying condition.

It depends on the cause – Once a cataract has developed, you can’t reverse it, but you can take measures to slow the progress or perform surgery to clear up your vision and restore your quality of life.

Stress doesn’t cause cloudy vision. However, it can cause blurry vision. If you notice a sudden change in your vision, make sure you see a professional ASAP.

Not getting enough sleep won’t cause cloudy eyes. But you may experience blurry vision if you go without sleep for too long. Additionally, those with dry eyes may experience blurred vision when they first wake up that can be cleared with eye drops.

Dehydration won’t cause cloudy vision, however dry eye syndrome can cause damage to your eyes if left untreated for a long time. If you suspect you have dry eyes, see your optician.

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With the arrival of darker evenings, we’re likely to be spending more time in front of screens than we were in the summer, while in daytime we can find ourselves out in cold autumn wind. These are all key contributors to dry eye syndrome, so now is the time to think about how to help your eyes stay healthy through the autumn and winter months!    What is dry eye syndrome?  From time to time we all feel like our eyes can get dry and tired, but if your eyes regularly feel red, sore and uncomfortable, you might be suffering from dry eye syndrome.   Dry eye is common and occurs when your tears evaporate faster than usual, or if your eyes cannot produce enough tears. Tears don’t just flow when you start welling up while watching a sad film, they should always be there, to constantly lubricate your eyes. You can also have dry eyes despite tears rolling down your cheeks – if the tears are of poor quality, they stay on the surface of your eyes.  Dry eye becomes more common as you get older because we produce fewer tears and our eyelids are less effective in spreading the tears across the surface of our eyes – about 33% of people over 65 experience problems with dry eyes.  However, this condition is becoming more prevalent in young people, and it’s thought to be related to excessive screen use. When we’re looking at a screen we blink less frequently, at a lower rate and not fully, so our tears evaporate and are not spread evenly over the surface of the eyes.     What are the symptoms?  If you have itchy eyes, redness, the sensation of having something in your eye, a gritty feeling or watery eyes as you try to over-compensate for the lack of tears, you could have dry eyes.  At Leightons we can diagnose dry eye syndrome by thoroughly discussing your symptoms and making an assessment of the front of your eye (the anterior eye). This includes a fluorescein or lissamine green dye test. These dyes highlight dry or damaged cells and help us examine the flow of tears.   If you think you have dry eye and exhibit some of the above symptoms, contact our Dedicated Patient Support team on 0800 40 20 20 or book an appointment online for diagnosis and treatment.     Why does it happen?  There’s no single cause of dry eye syndrome, but there are a number of factors that can contribute:  * Due to dry, windy weather or even high altitude  * Central heating and air conditioning will further evaporate tears in the home, office or car  * Underlying medical conditions, such as blepharitis (an inflammation of the eyelids), lupus, contact dermatitis and rheumatoid arthritis  * Side effects of some medicine, such as antihistamines, antidepressants and diuretics  * For women, dry eye can happen during menopause, pregnancy, or while using the pill  * Following laser eye surgery many people initially are aware of having dry eye  * Activities like reading, writing or working at a computer without breaks. Try blinking regularly to stimulate the flow of tears around your eyes    How can it be treated?  You can make the most of your natural tears by drinking more fluids and staying well hydrated, and eating more foods containing omega 3 and omega 6, such as oily fish, sunflower seeds and walnuts.  You can also try artificial tear eye drops. This is a common treatment clinically proven to relive the gritty, sore sensation of dry eye syndrome. Pop into your local Leightons branch to pick up artificial tear eye drops such as Thealoz Duo – a dual-action eye drop that hydrates and protects the surface of the eye.    We can take a look  If you’re unsure if you have dry eye syndrome and want to book an eye test to find out, or simply want to try eye drops, just speak to your local eye care experts at Leightons.   Call us on 0800 40 20 20 or visit your nearest branch. You can also book an eye exam online. 
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