{"id":1944,"date":"2026-10-20T08:53:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T08:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laseristanbulclinic.com\/eye-health\/conditions\/vitamin-b12-deficiency-eye-symptoms\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T12:58:58","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T12:58:58","slug":"vitamin-b12-deficiency-eye-symptoms","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/laseristanbulclinic.com\/en\/eye-health\/conditions\/vitamin-b12-deficiency-eye-symptoms\/","title":{"rendered":"B12 Deficiency Eyes: Symptoms, Blurred Vision, Dry Eyes and Floaters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
  1. Home<\/a><\/li>
  2. Knowledge centre<\/a><\/li>
  3. Eye conditions & symptoms A\u2013Z<\/a><\/li>
  4. B12 Deficiency Eyes: Symptoms, Blurred Vision, Dry Eyes and Floaters<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/div>\t\t\t

    B12 Deficiency Eyes: Symptoms, Blurred Vision, Dry Eyes and Floaters<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t
    \"Close-up<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

    With B12 deficiency, eyes are affected mainly through damage to the optic nerve. This causes painless blurred or dim vision in both eyes, a blind spot near the centre of vision and washed-out colours. If it is treated early, vision often recovers; if it is left for months, the damage can become permanent. Evidence for dry eyes is limited, and no established link with floaters has been found. B12 deficiency is diagnosed with a blood test and treated by your doctor; an eye examination checks the optic nerve and rules out other causes.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

    How does vitamin B12 deficiency affect the eyes?<\/h2><\/div>

    Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) keeps nerves healthy and helps make red blood cells. The body can store B12 for 2 to 5 years, according to the NHS, so a deficiency usually builds up slowly and the first signs can be easy to miss. The NHS lists “problems with your vision” among the symptoms, alongside extreme tiredness, pins and needles, a sore red tongue, and memory or balance problems.<\/p>\n

    The effect of vitamin B12 deficiency on the eyes is best understood in three parts:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. The optic nerve (well established).<\/strong> The optic nerve carries images from the eye to the brain. Without enough B12 it can become damaged, a condition called nutritional optic neuropathy.<\/li>\n
    2. The surface of the eye (limited evidence).<\/strong> A few clinical studies and case reports link low B12 with dry, painful eyes.<\/li>\n
    3. Floaters (no established link).<\/strong> Floaters come from the gel inside the eye, not from the nerve.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      A systematic review of case reports in the journal Annals of Medicine and Surgery<\/em> (2020) notes that B12 deficiency rarely shows up first with visual symptoms. So if you have blurred vision, B12 is rarely the first cause to suspect, but it is an important and treatable one to rule out, especially if you also have other B12 symptoms.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

      \n\t\t

      B12 deficiency and blurred vision: what does optic nerve damage feel like?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t

      Blurred vision from B12 deficiency is typically a slow, painless loss of sharpness in both eyes at the same time. According to EyeWiki, the clinical encyclopedia of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), nutritional optic neuropathy causes bilateral, symmetrical, painless visual loss with a central or centrocecal scotoma (a blind or hazy patch around the point you look at), reduced colour vision and reduced contrast sensitivity.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

      In everyday terms you might notice:<\/p>\n