Eye Problem

[speachami11]

I'm no real scholar about eye conditions, and probably sound redundant or obvious in my question, but recently I've been having odd action in my right eye, and I'd like to get a knowledgeable opinion.

This started really recently, and I think I first noticed it while reading an article on the computer. As I read, my right eye would seem to get a little out of focus. Reading the black text on white background became a bit harder. As I read with both eyes I can notice what I can only figure to describe as a deficiency in my right eye, and I have no idea why or what it is.

When I focus on small details and close my left eye, it appears to be normal. But when I look with both eyes, the comparison is noticable to me.

There is no 'fogging up' of the eye, nor did I sustain any injury to it recently. I'm not taking any drugs or anything that would have an effect on it, yet this seems to persist even after I let my eye rest a bit.

I haven't yet talked to an optometrist, especially since I have no idea who my optometrist is or how to contact him, and would really appreciate any help in this.

Thank you :)

[Sandra M Brown, MD]

The possibilities are very dependent on your age.  I'm going to assume that you are in your 40s and that  your distance vision is equally good in both eyes.  In this case, you may be experiencing early presbyopia, where the lens inside the eye begins to get stiff and reluctant to change into the more curved shape necessary for up close focus.  Very observant patients can notice small differences in lens stiffness between the eyes in the early stages of presbyopia.  If you are only using one eye, the brain will "drive" that eye into focus.  If you have both eyes open, the brain will send the "focus drive" signals necessary to get the easier eye into focus (in this case your left eye) and then the other eye lags behind, creating a slight noticeable difference in image quality.

Another cause of this problem is slightly unequal farsightedness.

However, there are numerous other possibilities.  Find your optometrist.

[speachami11]

Oh! I'm sorry, I guess I forgot to add a few details.

I'm actually 20 years old, in college, though presbyopia does seem like it would fit.

A detail that I forgot is that that when I look at the eye in a mirror, I notice a blood vessel or something in the whites of the eye that I hadn't seen before.

I noticed the blood vessel one morning when I woke up with just the single eye blood shot, then after that it stuck around. The only thing is, I don't remember if this was when I started to notice anything wrong with the eye.

And thank you!