LOW VISION

WHAT DOES LOW VISION MEAN?

Low vision is not ‘bad vision.’  It is simply vision that cannot be corrected with visual aids to achieve 20/20 visual acuity.  There only exists the means to enhance or provide low vision aids to improve the quality of life for those going through vision loss.

It is a visual impairment that cannot be corrected by standard glasses, contact lenses, medicine or surgery.  Having low vision interferes with a person’s ability to perform everyday activities.  It has an impact on lifestyle and thus a low vision aid patient requires aids to help enhance the amount of vision they do have.

STATISTICS

·        1 out of 20 people in America has low vision

·        1 in eight Americans is 65 years of age or older

·        By 2030, number of people 65 years and older is expected to double

(Lighthouse National Survey on Vision Loss 1995)

·        More than 22 billion dollars is spent annually on care and services for people who are blind or visually impaired

    EARLY SIGNS:

Often times, depression and low self-esteem set in when a person is first diagnosed with vision loss.  Other emotions such as anger, fear, and grief are also experienced and are entirely normal.  Often, people’s reactions to vision loss are similar to those experienced in bereavement; initially, there is often a period of denial, when the person experiencing visual loss is in shock and believes their state is not permanent.   Things that were previously routine, such as performing household chores, taking care of children, reading the newspaper, or going to the corner store, may all become very challenging tasks.  Cooking, exercising, and socializing may even seem impossible.

COPING WITH VISION LOSS

 Vision loss requires a person to cope with an increased amount of stress while being able to function in an environment with fewer stimuli.  Relationships with loved ones often become strained.  Without proper assistance, people who experience the disintegration of important relationships may end up living in fear and may become homebound. This is particularly true of seniors.

Those suffering from vision loss require rehabilitation to restore the skills they need to perform everyday activities, to restore their quality of life, and to bring about a sense of normalcy.  Of great concern to many who suffer vision loss, is the idea of losing their independence.  Depending on the degree of vision loss, a caregiver or someone to help out may be required in the interim or on a permanent basis.  A move to a short or long-term care facility is an alternative.

 

Vision loss is incredibly difficult to fathom and accept. Those in denial are at risk of increased difficulties, as their recovery from vision loss is undermined by their lack of motivation to rehabilitate. The most important step for anyone in this situation is to seek support.  Things are incredibly difficult for those who are alone and need help.  Dealing with the resultant emotions alone can be as burdensome as dealing with the vision loss

CHILDREN

Low vision aids is the solution to visual loss.  Vision loss is not restricted only to the ageing population.  In fact, a child’s visual requirements are just as important if not, more important than that of adults.  Certain conditions, if caught early enough may be preventable and treatable.  According to research, approximately 25% of school age children have some sort of visual problem and six out of ten children have difficulty reading due to a visual problem that is either uncorrected or undetected.

Vision screening in pediatrics is important in the early detection of a condition known as Amblyopia or ‘lazy eye.’ Amblyopia is a functional defect most commonly caused by strabismus or unequal refractive error.  This condition is the leading cause of unilateral vision loss in people between the ages of 20-70.  If caught in the early stages, treatment can begin which can increase the child’s chance of improving their vision.  If the condition remains untreated, or is treated for best possible vision, the child may still be able to improve the quality of their vision with low vision aids.

     CAUSES: 

-Macular Degeneration, Cataract, Problem with optic nerve (Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy)

          -inherited disorder of receptor cells—Retinitis Pigmentossa

 VISUAL ASSESSMENT:

          Optometrist or Ophthalmologist will test the patients for low vision correction.    They must determine what type of field defect:

• Macular Degeneration:  Central Field Defect—peripheral still intact 
•  A condition called Diabetic Retinopathy is on the rise with children and elderly—several scotomas spread around
• Glaucoma:  Peripheral Field Defect—you want minification to shrink the text into the center of good vision
•            Retinitis Pigmentossa:  All over defect

.           Once you determine where the visual field defect is, then you know how to help the patient via low vision aid.  i.e. if the blind spot is in the center, use a magnifier to get it out of the area of the scotoma.    i.e. if the blind spot is in the periphery, use a minifier—to shrink things so that they fall into the center

 HIGHER RISK FOR LOW VISION
                ·        people 65 years of age or older (age related Macular Degeneration)

·        African American and Hispanics over the age of 45

·        genetically higher risk for developing diabetes and diabetic retinopathy

·        African American higher risk of developing Glaucoma