When a person has blurred vision they do not necessarily need to worry that they are losing their sight or have some type of eye disease. In many cases, their eyes are just changing with age and they may need a new pair of prescription glasses. However, there are symptoms of common diseases of the eyes that should not be ignored. Consider a few of those here.

Symptoms of Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a disease that affects the nerves behind the eyes. These nerves send signals to the brain that translates what the eyes see. When the nerves are damaged, a person's sight is compromised. Common symptoms of glaucoma include trouble adjusting one's sight when walking into a dark room, eye pain especially behind the eyes, seeing spots or ghost-like images, double vision, a dark spot in the center of one's vision, red-rimmed or swollen eyelids, and crusting of the eyes.

When there is sudden loss of vision in one eye, this is typically a sign of severe nerve damage. This should be treated immediately.

Symptoms of Cataracts

A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, or the outermost layer of the eyeball itself. Cataracts usually develop slowly over time, which is why they're often difficult to diagnose until they become serious. Symptoms of cataracts include cloudy or dim vision, difficulty with vision at night, a sensitivity to light and especially to glaring light, seeing halos or a glow around lights, a fading of colors or seeing more yellowing of colors, and double vision in a single eye.

Because cataracts develop slowly, the clouding of one's vision may occur so slowly that a person does not notice it until their vision becomes dim. Sudden vision changes such as immediate loss of sight or severe cloudiness in one eye should be treated at once, as these are signs that the cataract has worsened and may permanently damage the eye lens.

Astigmatism Symptoms

Astigmatism is when the cornea of the eye is not shaped properly. The eyes should be rounded and when one is more narrow or oval, the eyesight itself changes as this affects how light passes through the eye to the nerves behind it. A person with astigmatism may have blurred, fuzzy, or distorted vision. While not typically dangerous, this condition should be checked by a doctor, like someone at Alta View Eye Care Center, as soon as possible so that corrective lenses can be prescribed. This will keep the problem from progressing and one's vision from getting worse over time.