# Eyesight suddenly getting worse **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 4, 2015, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyesight-suddenly-getting-worse/721615 "2015-06-04T08:49:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyesight-suddenly-getting-worse/721615/1 "2015-06-04T08:49:15Z")
My ophthalmologist can’t explain it. I doubt it’s a blood sugar issue since my blood sugar’s been normal for months. Suddenly I can no longer read words (without glasses) at a distance where I used to be able to read them unaided. Doesn’t seem like a nearsightedness thing either. As far as I know I have no glaucoma. I’m trying to think of what it might be. I can’t spend much time or money on health care, though, unfortunately. Environmental toxins? Anyone’s eyesight ever just get suddenly blurrier over a couple of months before? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyesight-suddenly-getting-worse/721615/2 "2015-06-04T14:10:02Z")
Drastic change in eyesight was what caused me to get tested for Diabetes. Had another drastic change when I first went on the meds. What is your blood sugar level? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyesight-suddenly-getting-worse/721615/3 "2015-06-04T14:57:09Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Drastic change in eyesight was what caused me to get tested for Diabetes. > > Had another drastic change when I first went on the meds. > > What is your blood sugar level? Fasting blood glucose = 85. A1C was 5.8 half a year ago. Last month it was 5.3. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyesight-suddenly-getting-worse/721615/4 "2015-06-04T15:02:34Z")
Well how old are you? As you age your eyesight can worsen, and suddenly on occasion. Changes in eyesight can be startling, I remember the first time I could no longer read small print on pill bottle instructions, but I think I just finally crossed the line at that point where I could previously just make out the print but no longer could. It may not have looked that different for a random image but something that quickly transitions from readable characters to not would seem to be a bigger change than it actually is in terms of resolution. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyesight-suddenly-getting-worse/721615/5 "2015-06-04T15:05:22Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Well how old are you? As you age your eyesight can worsen, and suddenly on occasion. I’m in my late 20s. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyesight-suddenly-getting-worse/721615/6 "2015-06-04T15:10:34Z")
IANA opthamologist or optometrist, but I think that sometimes people’s eyes just change with age. It may well be that they’ve slowly been changing, but that you recently passed some threshold beyond which you can’t read as well as you like. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyesight-suddenly-getting-worse/721615/7 "2015-06-04T19:04:38Z")
This happened to me, and it turned out I had something called rapid onset cataracts. However, that ought to be pretty easy for your opthamologist to see, so odds are you don’t have it. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyesight-suddenly-getting-worse/721615/8 "2015-06-04T21:17:31Z")
Is the problem just up close? Or are details now lacking from distance vision as well that weren’t missing before? If you buy or borrow a cheap pair of drug store reading glasses is your close vision restored? Does squinting help? Is the problem in both eyes or just one? If both, to the same degree, or is one much different from the other? Are there areas of differing focus, e.g. things are blurry above center but not below? Do you think you see a color shift, or just bad focus? Do you see auras or glare or starburst patterns in discreet lights at night? Are you unusually sensitive or insensitive to bright light? Is your overall night vision different than it was? Good answers need good data. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyesight-suddenly-getting-worse/721615/9 "2015-06-04T22:44:30Z")
Might be floaters, but they can’t do anything about them. Unless they suck out all the vitreous and replace it with some inert material. [The Master speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/535/what-are-those-threads-that-float-in-your-field-of-vision): ---
**Author:** ![BaldDudePeekskill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@BaldDudePeekskill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaldDudePeekskill)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyesight-suddenly-getting-worse/721615/10 "2015-06-04T22:45:09Z")
Young person,find the money to spend on this problem. Go to a clinic, find a teaching hospital, anything, but stuff like this doesn’t go away…it may just be progressive myopia, or fatigue, but it’s definitely not normal and cannot be ignored… ---
**Author:** ![Kalea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b487fb/32.png) [@Kalea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalea)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyesight-suddenly-getting-worse/721615/11 "2015-06-05T01:46:21Z")
Not to freak you out, but my dermatologist asked me today about sudden changes in eyesight. It can be a sign of melanoma. Not likely, but something easily ruled out with a skin check. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyesight-suddenly-getting-worse/721615/12 "2015-06-05T02:00:07Z")
By the blood sugar & A1C comments I’m guessing you’re a diabetic? If so, eyesight is nothing to eff around with. Does your eye doctor know you’re a diabetic? Did you remind him of that, I. Case he had a busy day & forgot? I’d go to someone else for a second opinion. ---
**Author:** ![SmallBrownBurro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@SmallBrownBurro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmallBrownBurro)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyesight-suddenly-getting-worse/721615/13 "2015-06-05T02:48:59Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Fasting blood glucose = 85. > > A1C was 5.8 half a year ago. Last month it was 5.3. Do you test daily? Mum had this exact thing happen and tested her blood sugar and it was 29 (I think that’s 290 on your scale?) due to a medication she was taking. It happened super suddenly and she had to adjust her insulin big time. Once her blood sugar was back to normal, her eyesight went back to normal too. You might want to test that… ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2015, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyesight-suddenly-getting-worse/721615/14 "2015-06-07T17:23:01Z")
I had a drastic change in eyesight when my doctor prescribed Abilify. (and therefore stopped taking it quickly) Do you take any medications? Any changes? ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyesight-suddenly-getting-worse/721615/15 "2015-06-08T06:28:32Z")
I had an overnight change in my vision that was diagnosed as intermediate uveitis (or pars planitis), an autoimmune disorder. Caused major blurring in my vision with ‘floaters’ and necessitated a two-year treatment regime which saved the vision in ONE eye only. My regular ophthalmologist referred me to a specialist clinic because he was unable to provide the treatment necessary, but your ophthalmologist SHOULD be able to diagnose the issue, surely?? 😕