What is going on in the body?

Common vision changes can include - but are not limited to: · blurry vision · double vision · cloudy vision

Vision changes can be caused by anything from normal aging to life-threatening conditions. The exact changes in the body will depend on the specific cause and type of vision change.

What are the signs and symptoms of the condition?

Kinds of vision changes include: · decreased sharpness of vision, which means either being unable to focus on objects up close or far away, or both · double vision, which means seeing two of everything · loss of peripheral, or side, vision · total loss of vision, or blindness · cloudy vision, which feels as though the person is looking through a dirty windshield · "blind spots," which means the person has areas of vision where he or she can only see blackness

What are the causes and risks of the condition?

The possible causes of vision changes include: · refractive errors, such as being nearsighted, farsighted or having presbyopia. Presbyopia is when a person has a hard time seeing things up close, due to age-related changes in the eye. This condition affects most people over age 50. It's the reason older people often need bifocals or reading glasses. · infections of the eye, such as conjunctivitis or keratitis · cataracts, a common condition in older adults caused by changes in the lens of the eye · glaucoma, a condition caused by increased pressure within the eye · damage or inflammation of the nerves of the eye · damage to the vision areas of the brain, due to a stroke or brain tumor · damage to the retina, the part of the eye that is similar to the film inside a camera. The retina can be damaged in diabetes, macular degeneration, or retinal detachment. · trauma, or injury, to the eye · strabismus, sometimes known as lazy eye, in which the eyes don't line up properly · temporal arteritis, an inflammation of the arteries that supply blood to the eye · vitamin A deficiency · medicines, such as the heart medicine digitalis, or the antibiotic ethambutol

Other causes of vision changes are possible. Sometimes, no cause can be found.