You know you haven’t experienced any kind of eye injury but feel as if something must be amiss.
Dimness of vision can be a symptom connected to a variety of eye conditions.
This article takes a closer look at what may be causing dim vision in these situations.
Verywell / Laura Porter
The key is to find the condition that is causing the dimming of vision in your case.
Learn about some of the conditions that can be at the root of such vision issues.
Each nerve fiber transmits a part of the information from the retina.
Depending on how many nerve fibers are affected, vision may be very poor or seem almost normal.
A case of optic neuritis may sometimes resolve on its own.
Amblyopia
Those with amblyopia have one strong eye and the other with dim or blurred vision.
This condition, which develops in infancy or childhood, is also called “lazy eye.”
If this is not treated, over time it will get worse.
Amblyopia can occur when there is a big difference in how the two eyes see.
Treatment is needed to ensure that this does not happen.
Treatment hinges around getting the child to use the weaker eye.
This can be done with patching, drops, or eyeglasses that blur the stronger eye.
Macular Degeneration
Cases ofmacular degenerationcan come in one of two formsdry or wet.
The dry form tends to progress very slowly with the development of a few small deposits known asdrusen.
These can lead to dimming vision.
As a result, things may start to look dimmer when trying to read.
During the exam, the ophthalmologist will check the retina andmaculafor any signs of deterioration.
With a retinal detachment, the light-sensitive layer becomes detached from the back of the eye.
If a retinal detachment is found, immediate surgical treatment is needed to reattach it.
This can portend trouble and should not be ignored.
If you have any of these signs, it’s critical to seek immediate attention from an ophthalmologist.
While severe glaucoma will have symptoms, this is not so for early cases.
Because of this, it’s essential to get regular eye exams to check for it.
Cataract
With acataract, the eye’s lens becomes cloudy and harder to see through.
Things can suddenly appear dim, blurry, or less colorful.
Acataractcan be diagnosed by simply testing visual acuity and dilating the eye to see inside.
If a cataract is found and is severe enough, the cloudy lens can be removed with surgery.
The lens is replaced with a clear intraocular lens.
Brain Tumor
Abrain tumorcan also impact vision depending on its location.
Symptoms may include noticing suddenly blurry or dim vision in some cases.
Other sensory changes may include differences in smell, hearing, or sensation.
These should be immediately evaluated.
To help diagnose a brain tumor, a doctor will perform aneurological evaluation.
They will also look for signs of tumors in your eyes.
Any tumor that is found will be staged to determine if this has migrated elsewhere in the body.
Treatment usually involves surgically removing any tumor, if possible, although continued monitoring is done in some cases.
Also, sometimes chemotherapy and radiation may be used to help shrink the tumor.
For an issue such as dim vision, all eye practitioners are not the same.
Also, only an ophthalmologist will be able to perform surgery on your eyes if it is necessary.
Sudden dimness of vision in one or both eyes needs to be taken very seriously.
This can also be a sign that someone is experiencing a stroke and needs immediate attention.
Don’t hesitate to call 911.
Summary
Dimness of vision may be noted due to muted color vision or gray areas.
If you note dimness of vision, see an ophthalmologist to have the problem diagnosed and treated.
Depending on the condition, the treatment may include medication, therapeutic procedures, or surgery.
This dim vision does not have to stay that way.
Each case needs to be individually evaluated and addressed.
A condition such as a cataract, for example, may only be an issue in one eye.
Even conditions like macular degeneration and glaucoma may only affect one eye.
Whether it’s one eye or both, it’s important to get this checked out.
This can show where vision is decreased and may also be described as a dark curtain.
Commonly, this can be associated with a retinal detachment.
But there may be other explanations.
This is called amblyopia, otherwise known as lazy eye.
Kellogg Eye Center.Optic neuritis.
Cleveland Clinic.Amblyopia (lazy eye).
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Amblyopia: What is lazy eye?
NYU Langone Health.Diagnosing macular degeneration.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is macular degeneration?
University of Michigan Health.Retinal detachment.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What are cataracts?
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of adult brain and spinal cord tumors.
Johns Hopkins.Brain tumors and brain cancer.
Cleveland Clinic.Optometrist or ophthalmologist: Which is best for your eye care?
University of California San Francisco.Stroke.