{"id":15422,"date":"2021-07-14T14:51:56","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T14:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=15422"},"modified":"2021-07-18T20:10:07","modified_gmt":"2021-07-18T20:10:07","slug":"understanding-low-vision","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Low Vision"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>More than 1 billion people worldwide live with low vision.<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>If the best vision a person can achieve with medical treatment, surgical procedures, or prescription glasses is 20\/70, they are considered to have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/\">\u2018low vision.\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Vision loss can be caused by a variety of eye conditions and diseases, such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. The vast majority of patients who experience visual loss do not become totally blind, rather, they maintain some residual and usable vision.<\/p>\n<p><b>Those who have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/\">low vision<\/a> can benefit greatly from visual aids that maximize their eyesight as much as possible.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s critical to first understand how the eye works in order to comprehend blindness and other types of vision loss.<\/p>\n<h2><b>How the eye works<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>The eye is made up of four basic components that help it function:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Cornea <\/b>and <b>lens<\/b> &#8211; found at the front of the eye; they focus light entering the eye, allowing an image to form on the retina.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Retina<\/b> &#8211; also found at the back of the eye, the retina is a neural layer that detects color and light, and converts these into electrical signals.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Optic nerve <\/b>&#8211; transmits electrical signals from the retina to the brain for interpretation, allowing a person to comprehend the information delivered by the eye.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Blindness or reduced vision can arise when one of these components is damaged or degenerate over time.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Understanding types of vision loss<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Vision loss <\/b>is a blanket term that describes the partial or total loss of vision. Some terms to describe the various types of vision loss include those below.<\/p>\n<p><b>Low vision<\/b> &#8211; when a person has a visual acuity of 20\/70 or lower. Their vision can\u2019t be improved, even with glasses or contact lenses.<\/p>\n<p><b>Legally blind<\/b> &#8211; when a person has vision of 20\/200 or lower. If visual aids such as glasses can correct a person\u2019s vision to better than 20\/200, they aren\u2019t considered legally blind.<\/p>\n<p><b>Totally blind<\/b> &#8211; when a person has a complete loss of functional sight.<\/p>\n<p>Common sub-types of low vision are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Loss of central vision<\/b> \u2013 in the center of a person&#8217;s vision there are blind or dark spots.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Loss of peripheral vision<\/b> \u2013 a person cannot see anything above\/below eye level or to either side. However, their central vision is intact.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Blurred vision<\/b> \u2013 objects, near and far, are out of focus.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Hazy vision<\/b> &#8211; a person\u2019s field of vision appears covered with a sheer curtain or film.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Night blindness<\/b> \u2013 difficulty seeing in low-lit places or at night.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>If you\u2019ve noticed any changes in your vision<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"><b>contact an eye doctor near you<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SEE RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/guide-to-low-vision-magnifiers\/\">Guide to Low Vision Devices<\/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>Eye conditions that cause vision loss<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Early diagnosis and treatment can mean the difference between some vision loss and total or near-total blindness for many people. This is especially true for eye diseases, which sometimes don\u2019t show symptoms until irreversible visual loss has occurred.<\/p>\n<p>Common eye conditions and diseases that can cause vision loss, including blindness, include:<\/p>\n<h3><b>Cataracts<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/guide-to-cataracts\/\">Cataracts<\/a> cause the natural lens of the eye to become less transparent, resulting in cloudy or misty vision. During cataract surgery, the clouded lens is removed and is replaced with an artificial one.<\/p>\n<p>If left untreated, cataracts can eventually cause blindness.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Glaucoma<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/glaucoma-guide\/\">Glaucoma i<\/a>s a group of eye conditions that affect your peripheral vision and damage your optic nerve, usually due to a buildup of fluid and pressure in the eye.<\/p>\n<p>Glaucoma is a lifelong condition for which there is no cure. Early detection and treatment can often help to reduce vision loss.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Macular degeneration<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/macular-degeneration-guide\/\">Macular degeneration<\/a> occurs when the retina (the macula) begins to degenerate and compromise central vision; it\u2019s frequently associated with aging.<\/p>\n<p>The key to preventing vision loss is early detection and treatment. Anti-VEGF medications and laser eye surgery can often restore some lost vision, though there is no cure.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Diabetic retinopathy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/guide-to-diabetes-and-the-eyes\/diabetic-retinopathy\/\">Diabetic retinopathy (DR)<\/a> is a complication of diabetes in which high blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels that nourish the retina. DR doesn\u2019t have any visible symptoms in its early stages. The patient eventually develops eye pain, blurred vision and vision loss.<\/p>\n<p>Patients must control their blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure in order to prevent or manage diabetic retinopathy. Laser eye surgery, medication injections, and surgery to remove scar tissue or blood from the retina are all treatment options.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Low vision aids<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>A number of visual aids can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/\">help people with low vision<\/a> or partial vision optimize their vision.<\/p>\n<p>Accessible smartphone apps, e-readers, and a variety of other types of adaptive technology can aid people with any level of vision loss.<\/p>\n<p>Your local eye doctor should be able to assess any low vision you\u00a0 may have and provide you with low vision glasses, devices, and aids that can help improve your life by allowing you to do the activities you enjoy.<\/p>\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><b>If <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/\">reduced vision<\/a> is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\">impacting your life, schedule an appointment<\/a><\/b> with an eye doctor near you to have your vision assessed, a low vision aid might just change your life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More than 1 billion people worldwide live with low vision. If the best vision a person can achieve with medical treatment, surgical procedures, or prescription<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":15423,"parent":5473,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-article.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15422","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Understanding 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\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Understanding Low Vision - Optometrists.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"More than 1 billion people worldwide live with low vision. If the best vision a person can achieve with medical treatment, surgical procedures, or prescription\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Optometrists.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-07-18T20:10:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/lowvisblind.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"384\" \/>\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=\"4 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\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/\",\"name\":\"Understanding Low Vision - Optometrists.org\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/lowvisblind.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-07-14T14:51:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-07-18T20:10:07+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/lowvisblind.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/lowvisblind.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":384},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-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\":\"What is Low Vision?\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":5,\"name\":\"Understanding 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":"Understanding 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\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Understanding Low Vision - Optometrists.org","og_description":"More than 1 billion people worldwide live with low vision. If the best vision a person can achieve with medical treatment, surgical procedures, or prescription","og_url":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/","og_site_name":"Optometrists.org","article_modified_time":"2021-07-18T20:10:07+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":384,"url":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/lowvisblind.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/","url":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/","name":"Understanding Low Vision - Optometrists.org","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/lowvisblind.jpg","datePublished":"2021-07-14T14:51:56+00:00","dateModified":"2021-07-18T20:10:07+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-low-vision\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/lowvisblind.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/lowvisblind.jpg","width":1024,"height":384},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/understanding-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":"What is Low Vision?","item":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-low-vision\/low-vision\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"Understanding 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\/15422","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=15422"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15422\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15685,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15422\/revisions\/15685"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5473"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}