{"id":11029,"date":"2021-05-03T10:37:11","date_gmt":"2021-05-03T10:37:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=11029"},"modified":"2021-07-18T19:59:31","modified_gmt":"2021-07-18T19:59:31","slug":"retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/","title":{"rendered":"Retinitis Pigmentosa and Low Vision"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>An estimated 1 in 4,000 people are affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP).<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited eye disease that causes a breakdown and loss of cells in the retina. The most common symptoms of RP include decreased peripheral vision, trouble seeing at sunset and night or colors appearing washed out.<\/p>\n<p><b>While there is no cure for most causes of RP, it can be managed effectively with the help of a low vision eye doctor<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>If you have been diagnosed with RP, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"><b>contact an eye doctor near you<\/b><\/a>, who will provide low vision aids and devices, as well as the practical skills needed to manage the condition.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SEE RELATED: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/top-home-tips-for-low-vision\/\">Top Home Tips for Low Vision<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t<div class=\"practice-search-widget\">\n\t\t<h3>Find an eye doctor near you<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t<form class=\"practice-search-form practice-search-form-widget\" action=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/results\/\" method=\"get\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"page\" class=\"practice-search-page\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_latitude\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_longitude\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"address\" class=\"practice-search-address\" placeholder=\"City, Surburb or Address\" value=\"\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<button type=\"submit\" class=\"practice-search-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M10.6796 0.130005C9.15708 0.130059 7.66615 0.5646 6.38198 1.38258C5.09781 2.20057 4.07373 3.36803 3.43004 4.74783C2.78634 6.12763 2.54976 7.66246 2.74808 9.17205C2.9464 10.6816 3.57139 12.1033 4.54964 13.27L0.729639 17.08C0.6364 17.1732 0.562439 17.2839 0.511979 17.4058C0.461519 17.5276 0.435547 17.6581 0.435547 17.79C0.435547 17.9219 0.461519 18.0524 0.511979 18.1743C0.562439 18.2961 0.6364 18.4068 0.729639 18.5C0.917942 18.6883 1.17334 18.7941 1.43964 18.7941C1.5715 18.7941 1.70207 18.7681 1.82389 18.7177C1.94571 18.6672 2.0564 18.5932 2.14964 18.5L5.99964 14.62C7.35406 15.6038 8.98566 16.1324 10.6596 16.13C12.7814 16.13 14.8162 15.2871 16.3165 13.7869C17.8168 12.2866 18.6596 10.2517 18.6596 8.13C18.6596 6.00827 17.8168 3.97344 16.3165 2.47315C14.8162 0.97286 12.7814 0.130005 10.6596 0.130005H10.6796ZM10.6796 14.13C9.49295 14.13 8.33291 13.7781 7.34622 13.1188C6.35952 12.4595 5.59049 11.5225 5.13636 10.4261C4.68224 9.32975 4.56342 8.12335 4.79493 6.95946C5.02644 5.79558 5.59788 4.72648 6.437 3.88736C7.27611 3.04825 8.34521 2.4768 9.5091 2.24529C10.673 2.01378 11.8794 2.1326 12.9757 2.58673C14.0721 3.04085 15.0092 3.80989 15.6685 4.79658C16.3277 5.78328 16.6796 6.94332 16.6796 8.13C16.6796 9.7213 16.0475 11.2474 14.9223 12.3726C13.7971 13.4979 12.2709 14.13 10.6796 14.13Z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"practice-search-use-my-location\">\n\t\t\tSearch near me\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\n\t<\/form>\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<h2><b>What causes retinitis pigmentosa?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited eye condition, affecting the genes responsible for the healthy growth of the photoreceptors in the retina<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>Photoreceptors are the cells in the retina that begin the process of seeing. They absorb and convert light into electrical signals, which are sent to other cells in the retina and ultimately through the optic nerve to the brain, where they are processed into the images we see. Cones and rods are the two types of photoreceptors, and both can be affected by RP.<\/p>\n<p>Most forms of RP first cause a degeneration of the rods, making it harder to see in dim light. As the condition progresses, the cones, which are located in the center of the retina, will be affected. Once the rods become damaged it is difficult to perceive color and fine detail.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Retinitis Pigmentosa Symptoms<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>People with RP may experience vision loss in the following ways:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Reduced vision in dim light: <\/b>Visual acuity is reduced in situations of low lighting, such as reading a menu in a restaurant, navigating in a dimly lit movie theatre or during sunset.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Gradual loss of peripheral (side) vision<\/b>, also known as tunnel vision. A person with tunnel vision may find themselves bumping into things as they move around.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Loss of central vision<\/b>. This can make it difficult to do detailed tasks such as reading, crafts or threading a needle. Even watching TV or viewing a sports event may be challenging.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Loss of night vision<\/b>. People with night blindness find it difficult to see at night, especially for driving orat\u00a0 entertainment venues. It can take a few minutes for their eyes to adjust between bright and darker places and they may have trouble seeing clearly even at dusk or twilight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Problems with color vision.<\/b> Some people may have trouble seeing colors or distinguishing between similar colors. The colors seen are often washed out rather than vibrant.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Low vision treatment for retinitis pigmentosa<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Vision loss due to retinitis pigmentosa can present challenges in performing ordinary tasks like reading, recognizing faces and watching TV.<\/p>\n<p><b>There are several low vision aids and devices that can maximize one\u2019s remaining vision in order to continue working and maintain an active lifestyle.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Some low vision aids and glasses available include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Bioptic telescopic glasses<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Close circuit television (CCT)\u00a0or digital magnifiers<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Custom-made optical systems<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Hand-held magnifiers<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Low vision magnifying reading glasses<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Prismatic reading glasses<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Reverse telescopic glasses<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Side-vision awareness glasses<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Tele-microscopic glasses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>LEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/\">Guide to Low Vision<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"><b>Contact an eye doctor near you<\/b><\/a> for help in managing your retinitis pigmentosa and maximizing your usable vision.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An estimated 1 in 4,000 people are affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited eye disease that causes a breakdown and loss of cells in the retina. The most common symptoms of RP include decreased peripheral vision, trouble seeing at sunset and night or colors appearing washed out. While there is no cure for most causes of RP, it can be managed effectively with the help of a low vision eye doctor<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":11030,"parent":12334,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-article.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[174,319,368],"class_list":["post-11029","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-low-vision","tag-low-vision-device","tag-retinal-disease"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Retinitis Pigmentosa and Low Vision - Optometrists.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Retinitis Pigmentosa and Low Vision - Optometrists.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An estimated 1 in 4,000 people are affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited eye disease that causes a breakdown and loss of cells in the retina. The most common symptoms of RP include decreased peripheral vision, trouble seeing at sunset and night or colors appearing washed out. While there is no cure for most causes of RP, it can be managed effectively with the help of a low vision eye doctor\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Optometrists.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-07-18T19:59:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/lvret.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"682\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/\",\"name\":\"Retinitis Pigmentosa and Low Vision - Optometrists.org\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/lvret.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-05-03T10:37:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-07-18T19:59:31+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/lvret.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/lvret.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":682},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Primary Eye Care\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Guide to Low Vision\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Retinitis Pigmentosa and Low Vision\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/\",\"name\":\"Optometrists.org\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Retinitis Pigmentosa and Low Vision - Optometrists.org","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Retinitis Pigmentosa and Low Vision - Optometrists.org","og_description":"An estimated 1 in 4,000 people are affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited eye disease that causes a breakdown and loss of cells in the retina. The most common symptoms of RP include decreased peripheral vision, trouble seeing at sunset and night or colors appearing washed out. While there is no cure for most causes of RP, it can be managed effectively with the help of a low vision eye doctor","og_url":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/","og_site_name":"Optometrists.org","article_modified_time":"2021-07-18T19:59:31+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":682,"url":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/lvret.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/","url":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/","name":"Retinitis Pigmentosa and Low Vision - Optometrists.org","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/lvret.jpg","datePublished":"2021-05-03T10:37:11+00:00","dateModified":"2021-07-18T19:59:31+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/lvret.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/lvret.jpg","width":1024,"height":682},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/retinitis-pigmentosa-and-low-vision\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Primary Eye Care","item":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Guide to Low Vision","item":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Retinitis Pigmentosa and Low Vision"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/","name":"Optometrists.org","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11029","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11029"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11029\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15676,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11029\/revisions\/15676"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12334"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}