What causes blurred vision? Well, that’s a loaded question. Thankfully, for most people, causes of blurred vision are simply being nearsighted (myopia), farsighted (hyperopia), or having astigmatism causing images to be out of focus. People over the age of 40 also experience a loss of near focusing ability called presbyopia.

In most of these cases, glasses or contact lenses are the simple and easy fix for allowing you to see better. But if glasses or contacts aren’t your thing, you may be eligible for a surgical option, such as LASIK, to improve your vision.

However, having blurred vision is not always that simple. “Blurry eyes” may be a sign of an underlying problem — particularly if it involves sudden vision changes, or one eye becoming blurry when it normally is not. Causes of blurred vision in these instances can be brought on by a variety of eye problems or diseases.

Blurry peripheral vision could be signs of glaucoma, retinal detachment, inflammation, or even a tumor — among other things.

A single blurry spot in your vision could be something as simple as cataracts forming, or a sign of something more serious such as macular degeneration or bleeding in the back of your eye. Sudden vision changes, for example, developing sudden blurry vision in the left eye (although it doesn’t matter which eye is involved) and not in the right, could be a sign of a nerve problem or even a stroke.

Our eyes are truly amazing, and the number of issues that can affect the body that can be seen through our eyes is astonishing!

If you experience any symptoms mentioned above or notice something that doesn’t seem right about your vision, don’t wait to see your eye care provider. If it’s not “normal” for you, you should have it checked out by a professional. Yearly eye exams are important for this reason, even if you don’t have vision problems. Systemic diseases that affect the eye, such as hypertension and diabetes, are often first discovered during a “routine” eye exam in people who assume they are in good health.

With all that said, it should come as a relief to know that in most cases, you will just need a simple prescription to get your vision right. Glasses and contacts can be designed and fitted in such a way to provide clear, comfortable vision for all distances and visual needs. But never hesitate to have your eyes examined if you feel something is amiss. The eyes truly are the windows of the soul!