What does the veil before the eyes mean?
A clear image requires transparency of all media of the eye and proper functioning of the retina and visual pathway. The turbidity of any of the media - the tear film, cornea, lens, vitreous body - creates a feeling of haze. Damage to the retina and optic nerve is also perceived as a veil, but more often with loss of areas of the visual field. It is important to evaluate several signs: one eye or both, whether it appeared suddenly or gradually, whether there is pain, flashes, floaters, headache and neurological symptoms. It is these details that determine the urgency of the request and the scope of the examination.
- One eye or both
- Sudden onset or gradual increase
- Is there pain and redness in the eye?
- Flashes, front sights, “curtain” on the side
- Associated headache and limb weakness
- Does it go away after blinking and resting?
Common and harmless causes
The most common cause of transient fog is dry eye syndrome. The tear film breaks, and the image loses clarity, and after blinking it clears up for a few seconds. Air conditioning, dry air, long periods of screen time and wearing contact lenses contribute to this. Gradual clouding of both eyes with blurred vision at dusk and glare is typical of cataracts. Uncorrected nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism are also perceived as blurry. Temporary blurring is caused by certain drops that dilate the pupil and by blood sugar fluctuations in diabetes.
- Dry eye syndrome
- Cataract
- Uncorrected refractive errors
- Eye fatigue from prolonged screen time
- Fluctuations in glucose levels in diabetes
- Side effects of some drops and medications
Dangerous causes requiring urgent assistance
Retinal detachment begins with flashes and many floaters, then a dark curtain appears from the periphery, which gradually covers the field of vision; Without surgery, vision is lost. An acute attack of angle-closure glaucoma is accompanied by severe pain in the eye and head, nausea, rainbow circles around the lamps and sudden fogging. A blocked retinal artery causes sudden, painless loss of vision in one eye. A short-term veil, passing in minutes, may be a harbinger of a stroke. Papilledema and neuritis manifest as fog with pain when moving the eye.
- Retinal detachment
- Acute attack of glaucoma
- Blockage of a retinal artery or vein
- Vitreous hemorrhage
- Optic neuritis
- Stroke and transient ischemic attack
- Inflammation of the choroid
What examinations are needed
The examination begins with checking visual acuity and examining the anterior segment of the eye at the slit lamp, assessing the condition of the tear film and cornea. Be sure to measure intraocular pressure and examine the fundus with a dilated pupil: this is the only way to see the retina in the periphery, where detachment most often begins. Computer perimetry shows loss of visual fields, optical coherence tomography evaluates the retina and optic nerve in detail. For opaque media, ultrasound examination of the eye is used. If the picture of the eye is normal, but vision is impaired, a neurologist and an MRI of the brain are connected.
- Visual acuity testing and slit lamp examination
- Measuring intraocular pressure
- Fundus examination with dilated pupil
- Computer perimetry
- Ultrasound of the eye in opaque media
- MRI of the brain and examination by a neurologist if indicated
What to do
If there is a sudden persistent veil, especially on one eye, flashes, “curtain”, pain or neurological symptoms should be treated immediately, and if there is weakness in the limbs and speech impairment, call 103. You should not wait until it “goes away on its own”: with retinal detachment and blockage of the vessel, the outcome depends on the clock. If the fog is short-term, associated with working behind a screen and goes away after blinking, breaks, moisturizing drops without preservatives, ventilation and humidification help. A routine examination by an ophthalmologist is still needed, especially with diabetes, high myopia and after 40 years.
- In case of sudden veil - urgently see an ophthalmologist
- If there is weakness in the hand and speech impairment, call 103
- Do not instill other people’s drops and do not wait for spontaneous improvement
- Take breaks every 40–60 minutes when working behind a screen
- Moisturizing drops and air humidification for dry conditions
- Sugar and blood pressure control
- Annual fundus examination for diabetes and myopia
