Vision is one of the most important senses, and losing even a small portion
of your field of vision can greatly impact your activities of daily living.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vision loss
causes a substantial social and economic toll for millions of people,
including significant suffering, disability, loss of productivity, and
diminished quality of life.
“Low vision” is the term used to refer to a vision impairment
that isn’t fully correctable by surgery, medications, contact lenses,
or glasses. When someone’s vision is impaired to a degree that they
struggle with daily life tasks—things like reading, cooking, or
even recognizing faces—they may be medically diagnosed as having
low vision.
There are many root causes of this debilitating condition. In the United
States, the most common ones are age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma,
cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy. In addition, individuals with traumatic
brain injury, optic nerve damage, multiple sclerosis, or those who have
experienced a stroke may have low vision.
Thankfully, there are physicians and occupational therapists that specialize
in low vision. Working closely with your primary care physician, these
experts assess your functional needs and capabilities as well as any limitations
that have been caused by your vision impairment, with a particular focus
on reading, cooking, work, self-care, and any other common activities
that have been affected by your vision loss. Your occupational therapist
can teach you how to use your remaining vision as functionally as possible.
Training may include eccentric viewing for central vision loss; visual
scanning for peripheral vision loss; and assistive technology like smartphones,
tablets, and voice-activated devices to help you regain independence.
Don’t let loss of vision keep you from enjoying a free, independent
life. Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare offers a variety of
innovative interventions and therapies to treat low vision
resulting from stroke, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, macular degeneration,
brain injury, and more. Our certified low vision specialists will create
a customized treatment plan to help you maximize your remaining vision.
Please call 909/596-7733, ext. 3500 to learn more.