“Blurry vision is a common presentation of a wide variety of conditions. It starts with the surface of the eye, which is called the cornea, which is our largest refractive surface. This is where the majority of the blurry vision lies, as a result of conditions, such as nearsightedness, which is an ability to see far; farsightedness, which is the opposite; and the astigmatism, which is irregularity of the surface of the cornea of the eye. All of these conditions are benign and easily corrected with glasses or contact lenses. In addition to that, there are certain pathological conditions of the cornea that could lead to blurry vision, such infections in patients who are contact lens users, for instance, or certain genetic conditions, such as corneal dystrophies. The second refractive surface of the eye is the lens of the eye. The natural lens of the eye gives us one third of the refractive power. Conditions such as cataracts that impair the clarity of the lens will impact the ability to see clearly. In addition, diabetes, which causes an acute rise and then consequent fall in glucose levels, can impact the level of vision by shrinking or ballooning the lens. This is reversible as the sugars stabilize. In addition, there is a whole range of conditions that affect the posterior portion of the eye, where the retina and the optic nerves are located. As far as the optic nerve is concerned, we are mostly concerned with conditions, such as glaucoma, which lead to irreversible blindness that affects peripheral vision, but also causes blindness. As far as the retina is concerned, there is a whole range of conditions that can affect the retina that can cause blurry vision. Some of it is irreversible, such diseases as diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, vascular occlusions – all of those conditions can lead to blurry vision and need to be treated promptly.”
Make an appointment with Maria Basile, MD
Maria Basile, MD, is an ophthalmologist specializing in glaucoma at Mount Sinai Doctors, seeing patients Monday-Friday. Trained in New York, she is certified in by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Glaucoma Society.
She was awarded her medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical Center. She completed her residency in Ophthalmology at Maimonides Medical Center and her fellowship in Ophthalmology at The Mount Sinai Hospital. She specializes in small incision cataract surgery, as well as medical, laser, and surgical treatment of glaucoma, including the latest in micro-invasive glaucoma surgery. Dr. Basile is fluent in Spanish and Russian.