Vision Loss: Causes, Symptoms, and How to Manage It

You and I know that our vision is one of the most precious senses we can possess. Life can be quite complicated if it is impaired or lost. This is the reason why we will talk about vision loss or vision impairment.

Everything You Should Know About Vision Loss

When a person experiences difficulty seeing because of the decrease in certain functions, it is known as vision loss. Like we all know, not everyone experiencing this loses their vision totally; some suffer from partial vision loss where the sight is reduced, while others experience complete blindness or total blindness because there is no light perception at all.

When it comes to vision loss, most people don’t suddenly go blind. It happens gradually over time and can also be rapid. The visual acuity is reduced and the visual field, which is the wide area you can see without moving your eyes, has missing areas or blind spots. It is quite complicated, right? A sudden vision loss requires immediate medical help.

In case you don’t know, the eye itself is not the only thing in the visual system. We have the optic nerve that carries signals and the visual cortex that processes the images in the brain. If any of these processes encounters any error, it can lead to vision problems.

For someone to be considered legally blind, it means their vision is so extremely low that even the best contact lenses or glasses cannot help out. The interesting thing is, they might not have complete loss of vision even with the legal blindness.

Now that we know what it means, what causes this condition?

Conditions that Causes Vision Loss

Both older adults and children have several leading causes of vision loss. The most common causes are age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma. Let’s talk about them separately.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD):

Like its name, it’s the most common cause in older adults. It affects the central vision, which works for reading, face recognition, and driving. Yes, it is rare to end in total blindness; it can cause several impairments in a person’s everyday routine.

Diabetic Retinopathy:

High blood sugar can damage the tiny blood vessels in your retina. What happens after the damage? blood leaks from the blood vessels and if they are not treated, the end game will be severe vision loss. To prevent this disaster, regularly visit the eye doctor and take on good diabetes management.

Glaucoma:

This disease works in a group to damage the optic nerve through high pressure inside the eye and causes gradual vision loss, which affects the peripheral vision first.

This sneaky disease is often painless and develops slowly until there is a significant vision loss. The early way for you to find out is through regular eye exams.

Other Causes:

While those three we discussed earlier are the most common causes, others are

When there is retinal detachment, you begin to experience flashes of light and an increase in floaters. Severe cataracts can cause a transition from cloudy vision to total vision loss. Another factor is stroke that affects the visual cortex of the brain. It can lead to missing areas in the visual field or, in the worst cases, a complete loss of vision in one part of the field.

The last on the list is vitreous hemorrhage, which is caused by bleeding in the vitreous humor. The end result of this condition is blurry vision or sudden vision loss.

Symptoms that Hints Vision Loss

One of the most fascinating things about our body is that it has the ability to warn us. There are common signs that nudge you to see an eye doctor or seek medical attention.

If you experience blurred vision that glasses or contact lenses cannot improve or sudden loss of vision in one eye or both, then it’s time to visit your doctor. If your blind spots increase and you have difficulty seeing in low light, your body is trying to tell you something.

Also, if you notice that you can’t see colors clearly or you see halos around bright lights, don’t claim to be colorblind. As much as not all vision loss is painful, if you experience eye pain or see flashes of light, something is wrong. When your floaters increase, it’s a danger alarm.

In all of this, if you ever experience sudden vision loss or pain, go to the emergency room immediately.

Risk Factors for Vision Loss

No one is above diseases but we all have different chances. Those who are on the high-risk factor side are

People of older age and those living with chronic health conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. If you have a strong family history of eye diseases, then you should take care of yourself.

Smokers are at high risk of AMD and cataracts. Obese or overweight people are prone to diabetes, which is a link to diabetic retinopathy. Lastly, babies that experience premature birth can be at higher risk for certain eye conditions that can lead to vision loss.

Vision Loss Management

Accurate diagnosis from your eye doctor will lead to efficient medical treatment. Glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy can be treated with laser surgery and other surgical procedures so you don’t lose the existing vision. Immediate surgery is needed for retinal detachment.

When you manage diabetes and high blood pressure effectively through medication, regular monitoring, and diet changes, it will have little to no direct impact on your eye health.

Those who have no hope of restoration, vision rehabilitation can be a lifesaver. A low vision specialist can help them use the remaining vision to learn new ways to continue daily functions.

The most important thing is leading a healthy lifestyle. Enjoy food rich in fruits and vegetables, and don’t forget to exercise and protect your eyes from UV light.

Summary

With all these being said, comprehensive eye exams are the best way to detect eye conditions early. Management of many eye diseases in early stages can help a lot. Take proactive steps that can help protect your vision for years to come.

Bibliography

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24446-blindness

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vision-loss/

https://www.cdc.gov/vision-health/data-research/vision-loss-facts/index.html

https://www.healthline.com/health/eye-health/vision-loss-resources#treatmentshttps://www.healthline.com/health/eye-health/vision-loss-resources#treatments