Fuchs’ dystrophy is a disease of the cornea. It occurs when cells in the endothelium, one of the layers of the cornea, gradually die off. These cells are responsible for pumping fluid from the cornea, helping to keep it clear. When there are not enough cells, or pumps, the cornea can’t maintain its clarity and becomes cloudy or hazy.

There are two main stages of Fuchs’ dystrophy. In the early stage, you may notice few, if any, problems. Vision is usually hazy in the morning but gets better throughout the day. This is because your eyes normally stay moist when they are closed during sleep, but when awake, the fluid dries normally.

During the advanced stage, vision remains blurry all day. This may result in the formation of tiny blisters in the cornea, which may burst and lead to eye pain.