February is Low Vision Awareness Month

February is Low Vision Awareness Month. This is a key time to increase awareness of this condition which affects millions of Americans each day. Low vision is the term for a visual impairment that cannot be corrected by standard glasses, contact lenses, medication, or surgery.

Here's a few facts about low vision:

  • Impaired Vision: It’s more than just needing stronger glasses. Low vision significantly impacts daily activities like reading, driving, cooking, dressing, grooming, toileting, recognizing faces, navigating and participating in social activities
  • Visual Acuity: This term refers to how clearly you can see. People with low vision may have difficulty seeing details, even at close range.  
  • Visual Field: This describes the area you can see while looking straight ahead. Low vision can cause a narrowed field of vision, making it difficult to see objects to the sides.  
  • Problems with light sensitivity: Low vision can cause difficulty in seeing bright light or glare

Common Causes of low vision:

  • Age-related macular degeneration: This is a common cause of central vision loss in older adults. Affects the central part of vision
  • Glaucoma: This eye disease damages the optic nerve due to increased eye pressure.  
  • Diabetes: Diabetes can damage blood vessels in the eyes, leading to vision loss.  
  • Cataracts: These clouding of the eye lens can significantly impair vision.  
  • Traumatic brain injury:  Having a stroke or brain bleed can cause low vision.
  • Genetic: could be inherited

Living with Low Vision:

Symptoms of low vision can vary depending on the underlying cause, but may include:

  • Blurriness
  • Distorted vision
  • Difficulty reading or seeing fine details
  • Difficulty adjusting to changes in lighting
  • Difficulty with color perception.

Symptoms of low vision:

  • Assistive Technology: Magnifiers, screen readers, CCTV and other devices can help to help enlarge and magnify images, text to speech software, virtual assistant such as Alexa or Siri, smart plugs
  • Environmental Adaptations: clutter reduction, and high-contrast items can make a difference.  
  • Large print materials and audiobooks: Many books, newspapers, and even magazines are available in large print or in audio versions, which makes it easier to enjoy them.
  • Enhanced lighting: Proper lighting can help you see more clearly. This may include adding increased light to a room or using special bulbs that increase contrast.
  • Prescription reading glasses have special lenses that can help people with low vision read more easily by magnifying text and increasing contrast.
  • Color filters: Special glasses or overlays can help people with low vision see colors more easily.
  • Mobility and orientation devices: can help people with visual impairments navigate more easily, such as canes, mobility scooters, guide dogs, and GPS devices.
  • Low Vision training and rehabilitation: This specialized type of therapy includes training and education on how to best use the devices and strategies that can help individuals become more independent and confident in their ability to perform daily tasks and improve their quality of life.

Low vision can be challenging and isolating, but with the right strategies and devices you or your loved one call lead a full and productive life. It is crucial to schedule your annual eye exam to ensure you are doing everything to protect the level of vision that remains.

Resources:

The Vision Council Foundation

https://thevisioncouncilfoundation.org

The American Optometric Association

https://www.aoa.org

Living Well with Low Vision

https://lowvision.preventblindness.org

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