Wearing clothes that don't match, not being able to hit the glass when you pour milk, and not being able to see a car in the street could be warning signs of low vision. More than 14 million Americans have low vision caused by serious eye conditions such as macular degeneration or glaucoma, or medical conditions like diabetes or brain tumors.
"People with low vision do not see what someone with normal vision sees. Often black spots, cloudiness, and blurring affect their vision," says Dr. Michael Perez, former president of the Minnesota Optometric Association. "Today we have many treatment options to help those suffering from low vision, including magnifiers, mini-telescopes, and electro-optical aids."
American Optometric Association Classifications
According to the American Optometric Association, the two general classifications of low vision are being partially sighted (visual acuity with conventional prescription lenses is still between 20/70 and 20/200), and being legally blind (visual acuity that cannot be corrected to better than 20/200 with conventional lenses and/or the patient has a restricted field of vision less than 20 degrees wide).
If you or someone you love exhibits the following, it may indicate low vision:
- Changes in the way a person reads, watches TV, drives, or walks, or if the person stops doing any of these activities
- Difficulty identifying faces or objects, or locating personal objects in a familiar setting
- Difficulty reading or performing other tasks with ordinary lighting
- Holding reading materials close to the face or at an angle
- Difficulty getting food onto a fork or pouring liquids into a cup without spilling
- Wearing clothing in unusual color combinations or difficulty recognizing colors
- Difficulty writing on the line or writing clearly
- More pronounced hearing loss as visual cues are lost
If you experience any of these symptoms, make an appointment for a comprehensive eye exam with your family eye doctor immediately. |
