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Life Beyond Low Vision

"My aunt lives alone and has very little vision. She has stopped reading the newspaper and no longer drives. I worry about her being able to cook and take care of herself".

These types of concerns are not uncommon to the low vision patient and their families. To a person with low vision, a visual image such as a sentence in a book or a crosswalk at a busy in tersection may appear distored, blurred or incomplete. Traditional glasses and contact lenses do not sharpen the image. Many time the patients have already undergone surgery and medical treatment but the visual distortions remain.

Vision is a complex sense encompassing the ability to perceive detail, color, and contrast. These capacities can diminish naturally with age. While most visual changes can be corrected by glasses, medicine or surgery, visual changes caused the by eye disease, poor health or injury can cause permanent vision loss. If the loss is tatal, the result is blindness. If it is partial, the result is a vision impairment known as "low vision". A person with low vision severely reduced visual acuity or a significantly obstructed field of vision-or both.

 

The most typical causes of low vision in the United States are Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopath, and Glaucoma.

Mascular Degeneration occurs when the macula, the central part of the retina, which is responsible for detail, color, and daylight vision is damaged. Many patients cannot see enough detail to read and often cannot detect the features of someones face.

Glaucoma is caused by progressive damage to the optic nerve, usually resulting from a buildup of fluid pressure inside the eye. Glaucoma progresses very slowly and often causes a loss of contrast between objects and their backgrounds. In end stage glaucoma, the peripheral vision can be completely lost.

Diabetic Retinopathy is on of the complications of advanced or long-term diabetes. It is caused by leaking blood vessels taht damage the entire retina, including the macula. Central vision as well as peripheral vision can be affected.

 

But low vision does not mean no vision. Doctors who are specially trained to examine and treat low vision patients incorporate many special tests and tools to exploit the remaining vision.

Low vision doctors will use special charts and lenses to assess the degree of visual impairment. The doctor may prescript high-powered spectacles, magnifiers and telescopes to help the patient use the remaining sight more effectively. The doctor may then refer the patient for mobility training, computer assisted technology and independent living counselors.

Low vision services, in coordination with visual rehabilitation interventions, is an effective way for patients with vision loss to regain skills necessary for independent functioning.

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