Some days I can read the newsprint, other days it harder to do. On a sunny day have your Mom try sitting in front of a sunny window to read the newspaper. If she can see the print easier, then she needs a lamp next to where she sits that can use a 150 wattage light-bulb safety, not every lamp can. Check the wattage sticker on the lamp, it should be near the on/off switch.
Can your Mom see clearly the TV or when she is looking out the window? If that has changed, she may be developing cataracts which is quite normal as one ages.
When was the last time she went to an ophthalmologist [eye doctor]? I go yearly.
Thank God it wasn't stroke, though because I checked. But she will try to get her eyes checked out to make sure her vision doesn't get too much worse. Thanks for all of your replies!
I suggest you get her to her eye doctor if she hasn't been in a while. It could be eyestrain if she reads a lot, uses a tablet or her phone a lot. But it could be other reasons. I am 72 and it has been suggested we have an exam yearly now.
I think the OP is 44.😊 Actually, 44 is about the time u need them. I had to start using them about that age. My daughter is 44 and just started wearing glasses in the last few years. Our eyes change about that time. My DH was a little later.
At the young age of 44, it may just be that she now needs reading glasses, as that is very normal around that age. And why are you caring for your mom when she is so young? Like lealonnie said below, at that age there should be no "age related decline" other than perhaps her up close reading going bad. You might want to clarify a bit more.
A new and sudden change is an emergent situation. That she called you to report this, if this sort of thing is unusual, is of concern. If this is more gradual it still needs to be checked. Call your local ER with all the details you can. Is this in one eye or both? If one eye more urgent especially if there is any flashing lights (could be retinal detachment) , and so on. Some phenomena are predictive of stroke, so be certain no other symptoms. ER may tell you this is unlikely to be emergent. But see eye doc asap after holiday. Remember, no of us can give you a diagnosis. Keeping eyes safe and healthy is crucial. When you do get by MD get the little charts they give out to check for macular degeneration at home. Wouldn't you know these things happen on a holiday. Only you now can judge how emergent this situation is. And it if is something that leaves during the day. For instance it can be normal to have some focus adjustment in the early a.m.
My husband had an emergent eye problem a few years ago - a torn retina, it turned out to be. The ER sent him away and told him an eye doctor was his best bet as they’re the expert on eyes.
Go there first, not the ER. You’ll just be wasting your time, UNLESS you have a hospital near you with a expert in eye surgery and conditions (the eye doctor told us to go there fast or else he could forever lose his eyesight, so I drove 3 hours on a highway at night in the middle of a snowstorm while having a massive gallstone attack.
When's the last time she had a thorough eye exam? Does she wear glasses? If so, the script may need to be changed.
Has she experienced blurriness of other reading material? Newsprint can be hard to read. The font is often Times New Roman, which is hideous (when I worked we always changed the font as TNR was too hard to read).
Has this occurred with anything else she's read, or just newsprint?
The print may actually have been blurred; I've seen that happen over the years. First read the section that was problematic to determine if in fact it was, and if you can read it clearly, then consider other options, such as an eye exam with a doctor (not one of the lens places that sell costly glasses) who can determine if anything than deteriorating vision is happening.
She may be developing cataracts, if she's older than your profile states. That's not unusual as we age, and it can be addressed.
I also assume that your profile which states your mother is 44 years old is wrong?
According to your profile, your mother is '44 years old with age related decline'........?? That doesn't make much sense to me, since a 44 y/o person wouldn't have age related decline unless there were diseases at play that you do not mention.
That said, many things could contribute to blurry vision including eyesight issues and the need for reading glasses all the way up to a stroke. Do the FAST test to see if a stroke is a possibility:
FAST Stroke Recognition
1. Face. Tell the person to smile. Watch to see if their face droops. 2. Arms. Have the person raise both their arms. Watch to see if one is weak or sags. 3. Speech. Ask the person to say a simple phrase. Listen for slurred or strange-sounding words. 4. Time. Every minute counts. Call 911 right away.
If she passes the FAST test, I'd get her to her PCP for a full medical work up to see what might be going on.
Can your Mom see clearly the TV or when she is looking out the window? If that has changed, she may be developing cataracts which is quite normal as one ages.
When was the last time she went to an ophthalmologist [eye doctor]? I go yearly.
Your mom is only 44? My oldest daughter is 44--and she's more than perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Is this really YOUR problem?
I'd encourage her to have a full eye exam, dilated eyes and all. Then go from there.
I've worn glasses/contacts since I was 8, so I remember that moment when suddenly things were 'blurry'. My eyes haven't changed in 57 years!
44 is quite young to need 'readers'. But everyone is different.
And why are you caring for your mom when she is so young? Like lealonnie said below, at that age there should be no "age related decline" other than perhaps her up close reading going bad.
You might want to clarify a bit more.
ER may tell you this is unlikely to be emergent. But see eye doc asap after holiday. Remember, no of us can give you a diagnosis. Keeping eyes safe and healthy is crucial.
When you do get by MD get the little charts they give out to check for macular degeneration at home.
Wouldn't you know these things happen on a holiday. Only you now can judge how emergent this situation is. And it if is something that leaves during the day. For instance it can be normal to have some focus adjustment in the early a.m.
Go there first, not the ER. You’ll just be wasting your time, UNLESS you have a hospital near you with a expert in eye surgery and conditions (the eye doctor told us to go there fast or else he could forever lose his eyesight, so I drove 3 hours on a highway at night in the middle of a snowstorm while having a massive gallstone attack.
Those were the days…
Has she experienced blurriness of other reading material? Newsprint can be hard to read. The font is often Times New Roman, which is hideous (when I worked we always changed the font as TNR was too hard to read).
Has this occurred with anything else she's read, or just newsprint?
The print may actually have been blurred; I've seen that happen over the years. First read the section that was problematic to determine if in fact it was, and if you can read it clearly, then consider other options, such as an eye exam with a doctor (not one of the lens places that sell costly glasses) who can determine if anything than deteriorating vision is happening.
She may be developing cataracts, if she's older than your profile states. That's not unusual as we age, and it can be addressed.
I also assume that your profile which states your mother is 44 years old is wrong?
That said, many things could contribute to blurry vision including eyesight issues and the need for reading glasses all the way up to a stroke. Do the FAST test to see if a stroke is a possibility:
FAST Stroke Recognition
1. Face. Tell the person to smile. Watch to see if their face droops.
2. Arms. Have the person raise both their arms. Watch to see if one is weak or sags.
3. Speech. Ask the person to say a simple phrase. Listen for slurred or strange-sounding words.
4. Time. Every minute counts. Call 911 right away.
If she passes the FAST test, I'd get her to her PCP for a full medical work up to see what might be going on.
Good luck!