Vision Impairment and Blindness

Also called: Low vision

If you have low vision, eyeglasses, contact lenses, medicine, or surgery may not help. Activities like reading, shopping, cooking, writing, and watching TV may be hard to do. The leading causes of low vision and blindness in the United States are age-related eye diseases: macular degeneration, cataract and glaucoma. Other eye disorders, eye injuries and birth defects can also cause vision loss.

Whatever the cause, lost vision cannot be restored. It can, however, be managed. A loss of vision means that you may have to reorganize your life and learn new ways of doing things. If you have some vision, visual aids such as special glasses and large print books can make life easier. There are also devices to help those with no vision, like text-reading software and braille books.

The sooner vision loss or eye disease is found and treated, the greater your chances of keeping your remaining vision. You should have regular comprehensive eye exams by an eye care professional.

NIH: National Eye Institute

Symptoms of Vision Impairment and Blindness

The following features are indicative of Vision Impairment and Blindness:

decreased ability to see

It is possible that Vision Impairment and Blindness shows no physical symptoms and still is present in a patient.

Get TabletWise Pro

Thousands of Classes to Help You Become a Better You.

Common Causes of Vision Impairment and Blindness

The following are the most common causes of Vision Impairment and Blindness:

myopia
hyperopia
astigmatism
unoperated cataract
glaucoma
genetic defects

Risk Factors for Vision Impairment and Blindness

The following factors may increase the likelihood of Vision Impairment and Blindness:

people aged 50 and over
children below age 15
diabetic retinopathy

Prevention of Vision Impairment and Blindness

Yes, it may be possible to prevent Vision Impairment and Blindness. Prevention may be possible by doing the following:

educating about visual function importance
avoid smoking
avoid extensive exposure to sunlight

Occurrence of Vision Impairment and Blindness

Number of Cases

The following are the number of Vision Impairment and Blindness cases seen each year worldwide:

Very common > 10 Million cases

Common Age Group

Vision Impairment and Blindness most commonly occurs in the following age group:

Aged > 50 years

Common Gender

Vision Impairment and Blindness can occur in any gender.

Lab Tests and Procedures for Diagnosis of Vision Impairment and Blindness

The following lab tests and procedures are used to detect Vision Impairment and Blindness:

Eye exam: To diagnose the disease
Sensory assessments: To see how the person uses their remaining vision and other senses
Motor assessments: To define the person’s coordination and range of movement

Doctor for Diagnosis of Vision Impairment and Blindness

Patients should visit the following specialists if they have symptoms of Vision Impairment and Blindness:

Ophthalmologist

Complications of Vision Impairment and Blindness if untreated

Yes, Vision Impairment and Blindness causes complications if it is not treated. Below is the list of complications and problems that may arise if Vision Impairment and Blindness is left untreated: