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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Assessment online. A doctor can judge by video how urgent blurred vision is and treat some causes, such as dry eyes; eye tests, examinations and most treatments are in person.
- Most common cause: needing glasses or a new prescription, which is why an eye test every 2 years is advised; dry eyes, cataracts, diabetes and migraine are the other common causes.
- Sudden blurring: can be a stroke, a detached retina, acute glaucoma or a blocked artery in the eye, and needs help straight away.
- Double vision: if it goes when you cover one eye, the eyes are not lined up; new double vision needs urgent assessment.
- Emergency: call 112 for sudden loss of vision, or blurred or double vision with a drooping face, weakness, slurred speech or a severe headache.
Do not book a video appointment if you suddenly cannot see from one or both eyes, have severe eye pain, a dark shadow across your vision, or blurred or double vision with a drooping face, weakness, slurred speech, a severe headache or after a head injury. Call 112 or go to an emergency department, and do not drive yourself.
Can an online doctor help with blurred vision?
No, the cause of blurred vision usually cannot be found online: it often needs an eye test or an examination of the eye in person, and sudden loss of vision is an emergency. What a doctor by video can do is work out how urgent your symptoms are, treat causes such as dry eyes, conjunctivitis or eye strain, check your medicines, blood sugar and blood pressure history, and tell you exactly where to go: an optician, an eye clinic or an emergency department.
How an online consultation helps with blurred vision
- Urgency first: Sudden blurring, a shadow, eye pain or stroke signs are checked before anything else, and you are sent to emergency care if any is likely.
- Causes treated at home: Dry eyes, conjunctivitis and eye strain can be treated after a video consultation.
- Your health checked: Diabetes, blood pressure, pregnancy, migraine and the medicines you take can all blur vision.
- The right next step: Whether you need an optician for glasses, an urgent eye clinic, or emergency care.
What the doctor checks in an online blurred vision consultation
The doctor asks about the warning signs first, then about the blurring itself. The doctor asks about:
- Warning signs: sudden loss of sight, a shadow or curtain, eye pain, a red eye, coloured rings around lights, or a drooping face, weakness or slurred speech.
- One eye or both: checked by covering each eye in turn.
- How it started: suddenly, over days, or slowly over months, and whether it comes and goes.
- What it is like: blurring far away or close up, a missing patch, wavy lines, double images, or zigzag lights.
- Other symptoms: headache, pain when moving the eye, thirst and peeing more, or scalp tenderness and jaw pain over 50.
- Your health: diabetes, high blood pressure, pregnancy, migraine, earlier eye problems or surgery, and your medicines.
Before the call, cover each eye in turn and read something at a distance and something close up, so you can tell the doctor which eye is affected and how.
Why is my vision blurry? Sudden and gradual causes
How quickly the blurring came on is the most important clue. Gradual blurring over months is usually a need for glasses or a slow eye condition. Sudden blurring, over minutes, hours or days, can be an emergency, and any sudden loss of vision needs checking straight away.
Sudden blurred vision
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Cause | What points to it | How urgent |
|---|---|---|
| Stroke or mini-stroke | Blurring or loss of sight with a drooping face, a weak arm or slurred speech | Call 112 now, even if it passes |
| Detached retina | A shadow or curtain across your vision, with floaters or flashes | Call 112 or go to an emergency department |
| Acute glaucoma | Intense eye pain, a red eye, coloured rings around lights, headache, vomiting | Call 112 or go to an emergency department |
| Blocked artery in the eye (eye stroke) | Sudden, painless loss of vision in one eye, over seconds | Call 112 now |
| Giant cell arteritis | Over 50, with a severe headache, a tender scalp or jaw pain when eating | An eye specialist urgently; 112 if sight is lost |
| Optic neuritis | Blurring in one eye over hours or days, pain when moving the eye, faded colours | Urgent assessment in person |
| Pre-eclampsia | Pregnant, usually after 20 weeks, with blurring or flashing lights, headache or swelling | Get medical advice immediately |
| Inflamed or infected eye | A painful red eye, sensitivity to light | Urgent eye examination; see keratitis and uveitis |
| Migraine aura | Zigzag lines or flashing lights that pass within an hour | Urgent advice if it lasts longer than an hour |
Gradual blurred vision
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Cause | What points to it | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Short or long sight, or astigmatism | Blurring at a distance or close up, often for years; the most common cause | An eye test at an optician |
| Needing reading glasses with age (presbyopia) | Close-up print gets harder to read | An eye test at an optician |
| Dry eyes | Gritty, tired eyes; blurring that comes and goes | Lubricating drops; can be treated online |
| Eye strain | Tired eyes and headaches after screens or reading | Breaks and an eye test; can be managed online |
| Cataracts | Cloudy or misty vision, usually with age | An eye test, then referral if needed |
| Age-related macular degeneration | Blurring that usually starts in one eye, over 50 | Prompt eye examination |
| Diabetes | Blurring with thirst, peeing more and tiredness, or diabetic eye disease | Blood sugar tests and regular diabetic eye screening |
| Glaucoma | Usually no symptoms until side vision is lost | Regular eye tests with a pressure check |
| Medicines | Blurring that started with a new medicine | A medicines review |
Double vision: one eye or both?
Cover one eye. If the double vision goes away, it comes from both eyes not pointing in exactly the same direction, usually because of a problem with the eye muscles or the nerves that control them. If it stays with one eye covered, the cause is in that eye, such as dry eyes, astigmatism, a cataract or keratoconus, where the cornea thins and changes shape.
- Double vision that starts suddenly, or with eye pain: get urgent medical advice.
- A severe headache, or an enlarged pupil, with blurred or double vision: call 112.
- Double vision after a head injury: call 112.
- Double vision with weakness of the face, an arm or a leg, or slurred speech: call 112.
In adults, a new squint or double vision from both eyes can be a sign of a more serious condition, so it always needs assessment. Treatment depends on the cause, and can include glasses or contact lenses, an eye patch, eye exercises or surgery.
Sudden blurring in one eye: optic neuritis and eye stroke
Optic neuritis
Optic neuritis is inflammation of the optic nerve. Vision in one eye blurs over hours to days, colours look faded, especially red, and moving the eye often hurts, sometimes days before the blurring. It is most common between 20 and 40, two to three times more common in women, and affects about 1 to 5 people per 100,000 a year. Nearly 90% of people recover near-normal vision within 6 months. Optic neuritis is the first sign of multiple sclerosis in 15% to 20% of people with MS, so it needs urgent assessment and usually a brain scan. Steroids can speed recovery, but they do not change the final result.
Eye stroke (central retinal artery occlusion)
A blocked artery in the eye causes sudden, painless loss of vision in one eye, over seconds. It is treated like a stroke of the retina: some treatments work only within the first hours, and it is a warning sign of a stroke in the brain or heart disease. Most people affected are aged 60 to 70. Brief episodes of lost vision in one eye that recover can come first, and need emergency assessment too. Call 112.
How do you make blurry vision go away?
By treating the cause. Most blurred vision is corrected with glasses or contact lenses, and an eye test is the first step. Dry eyes improve with lubricating drops, eye strain with breaks, and blurring from diabetes with better blood sugar control and eye treatment. The fix depends on the cause, which is why an eye test comes first.
- Have an eye test every 2 years, or as often as your optician advises.
- Use lubricating drops if your eyes feel dry or gritty.
- Take regular breaks from screens and close work.
- Wear your glasses for the tasks they are prescribed for, and keep the prescription up to date.
- If you have diabetes, keep up your diabetic eye screening.
Can dry eyes cause blurry vision?
Yes. Dry eyes can blur vision on and off, and can cause double vision in one eye. The dry eye syndrome page explains the treatment, which can be started after a video consultation.
Free eye tests in the UK
In the UK, NHS sight tests are free for people aged 60 or over, people with diabetes or glaucoma, and people aged 40 or over whose parent, brother, sister or child has glaucoma, among others.
What might the doctor recommend for blurred vision?
What happens next depends on how fast the blurring came on, whether one eye or both are affected, and what comes with it. This is the framework the doctors use:
Swipe sideways to compare →
| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gradual blurring far away or close up | An eye test at an optician | Yes, to advise | For the eye test |
| Blurring that comes and goes with gritty, tired eyes | Lubricating drops and screen breaks | Yes | If it does not improve, for an eye examination |
| Blurring with thirst, peeing more and tiredness | Blood sugar tests | Yes, to assess | For the blood test |
| Blurring that started with a new medicine | A medicines review | Yes | Not usually needed |
| Blurring in one eye over hours or days, with pain on moving it | Urgent assessment for optic neuritis | No, beyond advice | Urgently, in person |
| A painful red eye with blurred vision | Urgent eye examination | No | Urgently; call 112 for severe pain with vomiting or coloured rings around lights |
| Sudden loss of vision, a shadow, or blurring with stroke signs | Emergency care | No | Call 112 now |
Blurred vision and not sure how urgent it is? A doctor can tell you in one consultation where to go and how quickly.
See available times →Treatment options for blurred vision
What you can do yourself
- Check each eye in turn by covering the other, and note whether the blurring is far away, close up, or both.
- Do not drive if your vision is blurred or double.
- Book an eye test for gradual blurring, and keep your glasses prescription up to date.
- Use lubricating drops for dry, gritty eyes, and take breaks from screens.
- Keep a note of when the blurring happens, how long it lasts and what comes with it.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. Treatment depends on the cause. The doctor may prescribe treatment for dry eyes, an eye infection or an allergy, and may suggest changing a medicine that is blurring your vision. Glasses come from an eye test, and cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, optic neuritis and the emergencies on this page are treated by specialists in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
What does not help
Waiting to see whether sudden blurring settles. Supplements or home remedies instead of an eye test. Driving with blurred or double vision.
Special situations
Pregnancy
Blurred vision or flashing lights in pregnancy, especially after 20 weeks or in the first weeks after the birth, with a severe headache, pain below the ribs, vomiting or sudden swelling, can be pre-eclampsia. Get medical advice immediately.
Diabetes
Blurred vision can be a sign of high blood sugar, and diabetes can damage the retina. Keep up regular diabetic eye screening, and get your blood sugar checked if blurring comes with thirst and peeing more.
Over 50
A new headache with a tender scalp, jaw pain when eating, or blurred or double vision can be giant cell arteritis, which mainly affects people over 50, most often in their 70s, and is most common in people of Scandinavian and northern European descent. It can cause blindness if it is not treated quickly, so you need to see an eye specialist without delay if your vision is affected.
Blurred vision while travelling in Europe
Sudden blurring is an emergency wherever you are: call 112. For gradual blurring, opticians across Europe can test your eyes, and carrying a copy of your glasses prescription and a spare pair saves trouble if yours break.
Children
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
When blurred vision is assessed online, and when you need in-person care
Assessed online: how urgent blurred or double vision is, dry eyes and eye strain, blurring linked to a medicine, and deciding which test you need and where.
In-person care: eye tests and glasses, eye examinations and scans, sudden loss of vision, a shadow across your vision, a painful red eye with reduced vision, new double vision, and any sign of a stroke.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes, even if it comes back
- a dark shadow or curtain across your vision
- blurred or double vision with a drooping face, weakness, numbness or slurred speech
- a painful red eye with blurred vision, especially with coloured rings around lights or vomiting
- blurred or double vision with a severe headache, an enlarged pupil, or after a head injury
- a chemical splash or injury to the eye: rinse it with clean water while you wait
Get medical advice the same day for:
- blurred vision that came on over hours or days
- double vision that starts suddenly, or with eye pain
- pain when moving the eye, or colours looking faded
- a new headache with a tender scalp or jaw pain over 50, with any change in vision
- blurred vision or flashing lights in pregnancy
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CEST. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about your vision: say when the blurring started, which eye, whether it is far away or close up, and what comes with it, such as pain or a headache.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Blurred vision can have more than one cause. Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call. If you have an emergency sign listed on this page, call 112 instead.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Eye floaters and flashes can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about blurred vision
Why would I suddenly have blurred vision?
Sudden blurring can come from a stroke, a detached retina, acute glaucoma, a blocked artery in the eye, giant cell arteritis, optic neuritis, migraine, pre-eclampsia in pregnancy or a painful inflamed eye. Sudden loss of vision needs help straight away: call 112.
What symptoms with blurred vision point to the cause?
Blurred vision that clears with blinking points to dry eyes; with a halo around lights, cataract or acute glaucoma; with floaters and flashes, a retinal tear; with a headache, nausea and zigzag lights, migraine; with thirst and tiredness, diabetes; with pain on moving the eye and faded colours, optic neuritis; and sudden blurring with a drooping face, weakness or slurred speech, a stroke. A painful red eye with blurred vision is acute glaucoma or an infection inside the eye and needs urgent care.
When should I be concerned about blurred vision?
Call 112 for sudden loss of vision, a shadow across your vision, or blurring with stroke signs, severe eye pain or a severe headache. Get medical advice the same day for blurring that came on over hours or days. Gradual blurring needs an eye test.
What is a red flag for blurry vision?
Sudden onset, loss of part of your vision, a shadow or curtain, eye pain or a red eye, coloured rings around lights, a drooping face, weakness or slurred speech, a severe headache, or a tender scalp and jaw pain over 50.
How do I make blurry vision go away at home?
Treat the cause. Most blurring is corrected with glasses or contact lenses after an eye test. Dry eyes improve with lubricating drops and eye strain with breaks. An eye test comes first, because the fix depends on the cause.
Can dry eyes cause blurry vision?
Yes. Dry eyes can blur your vision on and off and can cause double vision in one eye. Lubricating drops and screen breaks usually help, and a doctor can start treatment by video.
What causes blurred vision in one eye?
Causes include a detached retina, optic neuritis, a blocked artery in the eye, a cataract, macular degeneration and an inflamed or infected eye. Blurring in one eye that came on suddenly needs urgent assessment.
What causes double vision?
If it goes when you cover one eye, the eyes are not lined up, usually because of a problem with the eye muscles or nerves. If it stays, the cause is in that eye, such as dry eyes, astigmatism or a cataract. New double vision needs urgent assessment.
Is it the eye, the glasses or something else?
Blurred vision from the eye or the glasses improves when you look through a pinhole or blink, affects one eye more than the other, and comes with dryness, grittiness or a halo; blurred vision from the brain, such as a stroke, migraine or optic neuritis, does not clear with blinking, often affects the same side of the view in both eyes, and comes with headache, numbness, weakness or speech trouble. Double vision that persists with one eye covered is in the eye.
Is blurred vision a sign of a stroke?
It can be. Blurred vision or loss of sight in one or both eyes that comes on suddenly, especially with a drooping face, a weak arm or slurred speech, can be a stroke: call 112 straight away, even if it passes.
Can diabetes cause blurred vision?
Yes. Blurred vision can be a symptom of high blood sugar, and diabetes can damage the retina over time. Regular diabetic eye screening finds changes early.
How can I prevent blurred vision?
Have an eye test every 2 years, or yearly if you have diabetes or glaucoma in the family, and wear the glasses prescribed; keep blood sugar and blood pressure controlled; do not smoke; wear sunglasses with UV protection; take screen breaks and use lubricating drops for dry eyes; never sleep in contact lenses; and know your family history. Most blurred vision from glasses, dry eyes and diabetes is preventable or reversible when caught early.
What is optic neuritis?
Inflammation of the optic nerve. Vision in one eye blurs over hours to days, colours look faded and moving the eye often hurts. Nearly 90% of people recover near-normal vision within 6 months, but it needs urgent assessment.
Can an online doctor help with blurred vision?
Yes, to assess it. A doctor by video can judge how urgent blurred vision is, treat causes such as dry eyes, and tell you whether you need an optician, an eye clinic or emergency care. Eye tests and examinations are in person.
- Blurred vision, Cleveland Clinic (US), updated 17 March 2026.
- Blurred vision, healthdirect, Australian Government, reviewed September 2025.
- Double vision, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 12 January 2024.
- Vision loss, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 28 August 2025.
- Stroke: symptoms, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 12 September 2024.
- Optic neuritis, Guier CP, Kaur K, Stokkermans TJ. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf, updated 20 January 2025.
- Central retinal artery occlusion, Tripathy K, Shah SS, Waymack JR. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf, updated 2 May 2024.
- Giant cell arteritis, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 14 August 2023.
- Giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis), Ameer MA, Vaqar S, Savadkar A, Khazaeni B. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf, updated 2 May 2024.
- Glaucoma, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 13 June 2025.
- Pre-eclampsia: symptoms, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 28 September 2021.
- Type 2 diabetes: symptoms, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 10 February 2025.
- Migraine: symptoms, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 10 March 2026.
- Free NHS eye tests and optical vouchers, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 19 July 2023.
- Blindness and vision impairment: fact sheet, WHO, World Health Organization, 10 February 2026.
- Eyestrain: symptoms and causes, Mayo Clinic (US), 2 July 2024.
- Dry eyes, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 6 January 2025.
- Eye injuries, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 12 March 2026.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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