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VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

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VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

Visual impairment is a condition that is characterized by a decreased ability to see to an extent that causes problems that persist and not fixable by usual means such as eyeglasses, contact lenses, medication, or even surgery.

  • It can be anything ranging from blindness, or very low vision to not being able to see particular colors.
  • An individual with visual impairment sometimes have some useful vision, however, the vision loss is so chronic that it affects their ability to perform daily activities such as driving, reading, socializing and walking.
  • Also known as vision loss or vision impairment, visual impairment can happen at any age
  • The World Health Organization classifies visual impairment based on two factors: visual acuity and visual field.
  • Visual acuity is the measure of how well the eyes are able to see objects from a set distance.
  • Visual field refers to the entire area in which objects can be seen in the peripheral vision when the eye is directed forward
  • The types of visual impairments are low visual acuity, legal blindness, and blindness
  • Also known as moderate visual impairment, low visual acuity happens when an individual can’t see at 20m what a normal vision can see at a distance between 70m and 400m i.e a visual acuity between 20/70 and 20/400, or a visual field less than 20 degrees (a person with a normal vision can see 180 degrees)
  • Blindness is a visual acuity of 20/400 or worse or a visual field of no more than 10 degrees.

CAUSES

There are many causes that lead to a visual impairment including:

  • Trauma to the eyes
  • Cataract
  • Diabetic retinopathy
  • Glaucoma
  • Cancer of the eyes
  • Age-related macular degeneration
  • Childhood blindness
  • Corneal opacification
  • Genetic conditions like albinism
  • Retinal detachment
  • Amblyopia
  • Infections such as chlamydia
  • Viral infections in the eyes

 SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Symptoms may include:

  • Double vision
  • Inability to look at light
  • Visual distortion or distortion of images
  • Difficulties of perception
  • Inability to see objects as clearly as a normal person
  • Inability to see a wide area without turning the eye.

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Diagnosis starts with an evaluation of your medical history as well as an inquiry about symptoms, duration of symptoms and severity of your eyesight.

Your doctor will carry out series of tests to identify the cause of your impairment and suggest the best treatment option

Snellen’s test is carried out to determine how well an individual is able to see objects. This test is also known as visual acuity test.

Visual field test to test your visual field

Tonometry test to evaluate for the presence of glaucoma affecting your vision

TREATMENT

Treatment depends on the extent, exact cause, age and general health of the patient

Visual impairment caused by glaucoma is often improved with medications such as latanoprost or travaprost. These medications are effective in controlling glaucoma and improving visual impairment

Cataract surgery may be recommended for an individual that has cataract as the cause of their condition.

To avoid severe complications like diabetic retinopathy, it is of high need for a diabetes patient to maintain strict control of their blood sugars.

Most visually impaired people that are not totally bad can read with the aid of magnification devices

Various aids are available to help people with serious visual impairments.