What Low Vision?

As we age, our eyes change too. Many of these changes in vision can be corrected by glasses or contact lenses. However, if your eye doctor tells you that your vision cannot be fully corrected with ordinary prescription lenses, medical treatment, or surgery, and you still have some usable vision, you have what is called “low vision.”

Having low vision means that even with regular glasses, contact lenses, medication, or surgery, you may find it difficult to perform everyday tasks, such as reading your mail, shopping, preparing meals, and signing your name. due to these factors, you can begin to develop some mental illness such as depression.

People age 65 and older, as well as African Americans and Hispanics over age 45, are at higher risk of having low vision from diabetes and glaucoma.

Signs and Symptoms of Low Vision

There are many signs that can indicate low vision. For example, even with your regular eyeglasses, do you have difficulty:

• Recognizing faces of your friends and relatives?
• Performing tasks that require you to see well up close, such as reading, cooking, crafting, fixing things around the house, or picking out and matching the color of your clothing?
• Performing tasks at work or home because lights now seem dimmer?
• Reading street and bus signs, or the names of stores?

Vision changes like these could be early warning signs of eye disease. Usually, the earlier your problem is diagnosed, the better are your chances of undergoing successful treatment and keeping your remaining vision.

Regular dilated eye exams should be part of your routine health care; however, if you think your vision has changed recently, it’s recommended that you make an appointment with your eye care professional as soon as possible.

What Causes Low Vision?

Among older persons, low vision can result from specific eye conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy, from a stroke, or from a range of other eye conditions. Low vision may affect your ability to see people’s faces or watch television, to read, to drive, and even to match colors.