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Symptoms » Blurred vision » Diagnosis Checklist
 
Dr. Huntley's

DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST
for Blurred vision

Questions Your Doctor May Ask - and Why!

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in his assesment of the symptom: Blurred vision. These may include a physical examination or other medical tests. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor may help them with their diagnosis.

Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:

  1. How long have you noticed the blurred vision?

    Why: to determine if acute or chronic.

  2. Is it unilateral or bilateral?

    Why: if unilateral would suggest local eye causes such as cataract, refractive error, iritis, glaucoma, keratitis, retinal detachment, foreign body, vitreous hemorrhage, optic neuritis, orbital fracture. If bilateral may suggest cocaine use, methyl alcohol poisoning, tobacco, barbiturates, quinine and other drugs. Bilateral blurred vision can also with cataracts, glaucoma, chorioretinitis, retinitis pigmentosa, optic atrophy, papilledema, papillitis, optic neuritis, refractive error, pituitary tumors, posterior cerebral artery occlusion, concussion, migraine and hysteria.

  3. Is it transient or constant?

    Why: if transient may suggest migraine, carotid artery insufficiency or diabetic swelling of the lens.

  4. Was it sudden in onset?

    Why: may suggest migraine, optic neuritis, vitreous hemorrhage, iritis, keratitis, glaucoma, retinal detachment, foreign body, retrobulbar neuritis, orbital fracture, carotid artery insufficiency and hysteria.

  5. Drug or alcohol ingestion?

    Why: e.g. cocaine, tobacco, barbiturates, methyl alcohol, quinine and other drugs may be responsible.

  6. Past medical history?

    Why: e.g. diabetes increases risk of cataracts, glaucoma and retinal detachment; multiple sclerosis and syphilis can cause optic neuritis; migraine can cause transient blurriness of vision.

  7. Past refractive error?

    Why: e.g. myopia (short-sightedness) people are at increase risk of retinal detachment and macula degeneration.

  8. Medications?

    Why: some medications can cause blurriness of vision e.g. ethambutol for tuberculosis and chloroquine for malaria may be toxic to the eyes.

  9. Cigarette smoking?

    Why: can cause central visual bluriness due to toxic effect.

  10. Alcohol history?

    Why: can cause optic neuropathy.

  11. Family history?

    Why: of Diabetes, Glaucoma, Retinitis pigmentosa, migraine, Leber's hereditary optic atrophy.

Questions your doctor may ask about related symptoms:

Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. These may include:

  1. Floaters

    Why: indicates retinal hemorrhage or choroiditis, posterior vitreous detachment.

  2. Flashing lights

    Why: suggests retinal detachment, posterior vitreous detachment.

  3. Colored haloes around lights

    Why: suggests glaucoma, cataracts.

  4. Zigzag lines

    Why: suggests migraine.

  5. Vision worse at night or in dim light

    Why: suggests retinitis pigmentosa, syphilitic retinitis.

  6. Headache

    Why: suggests migraine, pituitary tumor, benign intracranial hypertension.

  7. Pain on moving eyes

    Why: suggests optic (retrobulbar) neuritis.

  8. Distortion of vision e.g. seeing objects smaller or larger than actual

    Why: suggests macula degeneration.


 » Next page: Types of Blurred vision

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