Let's talk about eye conditions

Vision loss is a broad spectrum

There is a wide range of eye conditions that can cause low vision. Understanding them can be a great way to both educate yourself, and better know what someone with vision loss is experiencing.

Low vision is used to describe someone who still has some functional sight but may need to be twice as close to an object as someone with unaffected vision to see it.

Blindness is when someone has very little or no sight and needs to rely almost completely on other senses like touch and hearing to understand and navigate their environments safely.

Common causes of vision loss

Age-related macular degeneration

A degenerative eye condition caused by changes to the macula (a tiny part of the retina at the back of the eye) that can result in a gradual or sudden loss of vision.

Cataracts

Cataracts are the clouding of the clear lens in the eye and can appear in one or both eyes.

Diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes complication which can damage the tiny blood vessels inside the eye’s retina and cause bleeding and swelling, leading to partial or complete blindness.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that cause progressive damage to the optic nerve. A gradual loss of sight, beginning with peripheral vision, will occur. If left untreated it can lead to blindness.

Other common eye conditions

Retinitis pigmentosa

Retinitis pigmentosa is a complex hereditary eye condition that causes cells in the retina to degenerate slowly and progressively.

Nystagmus

Nystagmus causes rapid, involuntary flickering of the eyes.

Acquired brain injuries

Acquired brain injuries such as strokes can affect vision. The cause and area of the brain affected will determine the type of vision impairment.

Stroke: Image of a happy family walking on the beach where vision is severely blurred across half the image.