Distorted vision can negatively impact our day-to-day life, making it challenging to work with decreased eyesight. Although most vision impairment issues can be treated with eyeglasses, contacts, and surgical methods like LASIK or Femto-Lasik, there are conditions where the problem cannot be corrected with these treatments. Low vision is a situation where the vision cannot be entirely reversed with regular optical therapies. This article will examine the term low vision and its inclusion to understand the condition.
What Is Low Vision
Low vision is a condition where you can experience a vision impairment, either partial or poor, and cannot be corrected through prescribed medications. Those with low vision can experience the problem in different degrees, where some may have poor night vision, a blind spot, issues with glare, etc.
The condition can be mostly seen in adults over 45, with a higher frequency over 75 years. The most common types of vision impairment include;
- Loss of central vision
- Loss of Peripheral vision
- Night blindness
- Blurred vision
- Hazy vision
The vision issue can interfere with your daily activities, impairing your vision and making it difficult to get engaged in work. The term describes a permanent eyesight reduction that eyeglasses or surgical procedures cannot correct.
Common Signs And Symptoms
You can notice the following signs and symptoms if you have a low vision condition.
- Difficulty in reading
- Inability to recognize faces
- Problems with depth perception
- Light doesn’t seem as bright as usual.
- Difficulty using computers
- Discomfort watching TV
- Trouble in driving, shopping, cooking, or sewing
Causes And Risk Factors
Low vision can be caused by one or several factors: genetics, injuries, existing medical conditions, and other external factors. Our eye specialist states that it can affect any person if they have a variety of illnesses or risk factors.
- Age-related macular degeneration
- Diabetes and diabetic retinopathy
- Glaucoma
- Eye cancers
- Albinism
- Brain injury
- Inherited disorders
- Cataracts
Diagnosing Process
If you had a visit to an eye hospital for vision impairment and the problems did not get solved with the prescribed method, you may require a particular test to diagnose whether you have a low vision condition.
Your ophthalmologist will use lighting, magnifiers, and special charts to test your visual acuity, depth perception, and visual field.
Achievable Treatments
Although low vision is an irreversible and permanent, a few visual aids can improve or help gain the maximum from the vision left. If you have disorders like diabetic retinopathy, the necessary medications must be taken to maintain or restore vision. You can also find specific devices to restore lost vision from retinitis pigmentosa conditions. A few widely used low vision aids are;
- Telescopic glasses
- Magnifying glasses or hand magnifiers
- Light filtering lenses
- Closed-circuit television
- Reading prisms
If you think you have the signs and symptoms of a vision loss or your eyeglasses or contact lenses do not help you with improved vision, visit the eye clinic for a comprehensive eye examination. A lower vision can diminish your quality of life and make it difficult to engage in everyday work. Early diagnosis and adjusting to available resources and strategies can help you continue working without limiting yourself to being seated as a blind person without complete vision. Visit us at Ebsaar Eye Surgical Center to diagnose your eyesight issue and get helpful tips from our professionals to balance your work and life with viable treatment options for low vision conditions.