Blurred Vision

Blurred vision can affect anyone, and may have any of a number of entirely harmless causes. On the other hand, it can be a symptom of serious health problems, many of which associated with substance abuse and addiction.

As the name suggests, blurred vision is an ocular (affecting the eyes) symptom in which normal vision becomes blurry and/or defocused. It can affect either or both eyes, and can have a wide range of causes. Some may be entirely innocuous while some may be serious, even life-threatening complaints. By itself, blurred vision would typically be considered inconveniencing and uncomfortable rather than dangerous, though any kind of visual impairment increases the risk of accident, especially if the individual concerned is driving or in charge of heavy machinery or precision equipment.

What Causes Blurred Vision?

Blurred vision can have any of a great many different causes, and several different mechanisms driven by those causes can be responsible for blurring. They include damage to the pupil, deformation of the eye, and the introduction of foreign bodies into the eye. Blurred vision is most commonly a consequence of conditions primarily affecting the eye directly – for instance, cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment, eye infections, and eye injuries – but can also be symptomatic of broader and potentially more dangerous conditions including brain tumours, stroke, autoimmune disease, and carbon monoxide poisoning, as well as simple fatigue. Meanwhile, long-term substance abuse is also known to have numerous ocular effects, including blurred vision.

Blurred Vision as an Addiction Symptom

Many substances of abuse – including legal ones such as alcohol, nicotine and caffeine – can have deleterious physical effects directly upon the eye if consumed over a protracted period. Ranging from nerve and vascular damage to ulcers and reduced pupil function, substance abuse can also cause some of the serious conditions mentioned above which also have the potential to blur vision.

As well as engaging in long-term substance abuse, addicts are also more likely than average to suffer from poor health and avoid seeing a doctor at appropriate junctures, including upon experiencing blurred vision.

If you are suffering from a substance abuse disorder and have begun to experience blurred vision, it is vital that you seek medical help as soon as possible as such blurring could be indicative of a very serious – potentially life-threatening – underlying cause. Even if not, you should consider seeking help for your addiction: if you are able to admit your condition and determined to strive for recovery, you are ready to get the help that you need.