US Medical Term · symptoms
Blurred Vision
Visión borrosa
What it means
Blurred vision is the loss of sharpness of vision and the inability to see fine details. MedlinePlus lists it among the many types of eye problems and vision disturbances. The National Eye Institute says blurry vision is the most common symptom of refractive errors, a type of vision problem that makes it hard to see clearly. MedlinePlus also names blurred vision, particularly while reading, in its description of macular degeneration. According to MedlinePlus, sudden blurred vision with eye pain, particularly if the eye is also red, is a reason to seek emergency care, and a red, painful eye with blurred vision is a medical emergency. It lists blurred vision when trying to view objects near or far among the reasons to get a complete eye exam.
Blurred Vision in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Visión borrosa
- Gender and article
- feminine: la visión borrosa
- Pronunciation
- bee-SYOHN boh-RROH-sah
Visión borrosa is the form printed by MedlinePlus en español, which glosses it as the loss of visual sharpness and the inability to see small details, and by the Spanish-language page of the National Eye Institute on refractive errors, which calls la visión borrosa the most common symptom of refractive errors. The noun visión is feminine, so the adjective takes the feminine ending: la visión borrosa. The Real Academia Española dictionary enters the adjective as borroso, sa and gives the sense "que no se distingue con claridad" (that cannot be made out clearly).
The adjective changes with the noun it describes. The National Eye Institute writes that with miopía far-away objects se vean borrosos, in the masculine plural, to agree with objetos. MedlinePlus en español lists Visión borrosa among the alternative names of its article on vision problems. Terms printed near it there include agudeza visual, visión doble (double vision), halos and puntos ciegos (blind spots).
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Patient | I have had blurred vision since this morning. | Tengo la visión borrosa desde esta mañana. |
| Clinician | Is the blurred vision in one eye or in both eyes? | ¿La visión borrosa es en un ojo o en ambos ojos? |
| Clinician | Did it start suddenly or little by little? | ¿Empezó de repente o poco a poco? |
| Patient | Far-away objects look blurry, but I can read without trouble. | Los objetos lejanos se ven borrosos, pero puedo leer sin problemas. |
| Clinician | Do you have eye pain, or is the eye red? | ¿Tiene dolor en el ojo o tiene el ojo rojo? |
| Patient | I also see halos around lights at night. | También veo halos alrededor de las luces por la noche. |
| Clinician | We are going to check your vision, your pupils, and your eye pressure. | Vamos a revisarle la visión, las pupilas y la presión ocular. |
| Clinician | Sudden blurred vision with eye pain needs emergency care. | La visión borrosa repentina con dolor en el ojo necesita atención de emergencia. |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Blurred Vision |
| Spanish (Español) | Visión borrosa |
| Chinese (中文) | 視力模糊 |
| Korean (한국어) | 흐릿한 시야 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Mờ mắt |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Malabo ang paningin |
| Portuguese (Português) | Visão turva |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ตามัว |
| Japanese (日本語) | 霞み目 |
Where you'll see it
Related ICD-10-CM category
ICD-10-CM code: H53 → Visual disturbancesRelated terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: Eyes and ears
All terms in this area: Eyes and ears — Ojos y oídos
Sources
- Vision problems — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Problemas de la visión — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- Refractive Errors — National Eye Institute (NIH)
- Errores de refracción — National Eye Institute (NIH)
- borroso, borrosa — Diccionario de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / ASALE
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026