Vision Impairment – Quironsalud – Best Eye Hospital in Dubai

Vision Impairment In Dubai

The human eye is like a camera that collects, focuses and transmits light through a lens to create an image of its surroundings. Many people are troubled with some form of vision impairment during their lives and most of the time these conditions can be treated with eyeglasses or contact lenses. When one or more parts of the eye or brain that are needed to process images become diseased or damaged, severe vision impairment or total loss of vision can occur. People rarely lose their eyesight during their teen years unless it is caused by an injury. Some babies have congenital blindness which means they are visually impaired at birth.

Main Causes Of Visual Impairment

Corneal Blindness

Corneal Blindness is a visual impairment that develops through the clouding of the cornea, scarring or some other infection that affects the transparency of cornea, leading to permanent blindness and comprises a range of eye disease, infection and injury that damage the corneal tissues.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetes if uncontrolled can lead to serious health complications including diabetic retinopathy, which can result in blindness, as high blood sugar damages the retina. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the main causes of blindness, but this can be avoided with early diagnosis and treatment.

Diabetic Maculopathy

Diabetic maculopathy is the result of damage to the macula which is the part of the eye which gives us our central vision and can be caused by retinopathy. Diabetic Macular Oedema (DMO) is a common problem and leads to a buildup of fluid on the macular resulting in damage.

Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP)

Retinitis Pigmentosa is a genetic eye disease inherited from generation to generation and is a serious condition that gradually leads to vision and night vision loss and even total blindness. It can start in childhood or adolescence.

Cataracts

Cataracts cloud the lens of the eye blocking light and resulting in a loss of vision clarity. They are very common and cause about 50% of blindness in the world, affecting 20 million people. The good news is that they are preventable and treatable.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma can result in damage to the optic nerve, connecting the brain to the eye, and is a very common eye condition – affecting around 80 million people around the world. It can lead to loss of vision if not detected and treated in the early stages. Glaucoma usually develops because the fluid in the eye cannot drain properly, increasing the pressure inside the eye and applying pressure to the optic nerve. Vision loss starts at the periphery of the field of vision and people may struggle to see well in low light.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

For people aged 60 and above, AMD is a common form of the loss of central vision caused by damage to the macula, which sits at the rear of eye.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

For people aged 60 and above, AMD is a common form of the loss of central vision caused by damage to the macula, which sits at the rear of eye.

Types Of Visual Impairments

Below are some common types of visual impairments,

1. Central Vision Loss
Under this vision impairment, the patient experiences a loss of central vision while the side (peripheral) vision remains intact. This creates a blur or blind spot in a patient’s central vision.Central vision loss makes it difficult to read and recognize faces. Some patients may also find it difficult to distinguish details from a distance. Central vision loss is often less serious or impactful as the side vision remains intact.

2. Peripheral (Side) Vision Loss
Patients with peripheral vision loss experience a loss of side vision while the central vision remains intact. With this impairment patients find it difficult to distinguish anything on one side or both sides or may not see anything above or below the eye level. As the central vision remains, patients however have no problems in seeing directly ahead.

Peripheral vision loss may affect the movement of a patient’s eye and in severe cases, may also slow his/her reading speed because of the ability to see only a few words at a time. This problem is also known as a “Tunnel vision”.

3. Blurred Vision
Blurred vision reduces the sharpness of a patient’s vision making it difficult to see any fine details around. Patients with blurred vision see things out of focus and it usually arises from abnormalities such as near or farsightedness, presbyopia, or astigmatism. Blurred vision can be improved with corrective lenses.

4. Extreme Light Sensitivity (Photophobia)
Diagnosed in patients with existing eye conditions or sight loss. Photophobia is also common among people with migraines. Extreme light sensitivity is an important symptom used for diagnosing migraines.

Under this impairment, the light is too bright for a patient to tolerate which causes discomfort. In some cases, the discomfort from photophobia can be severe to a point where the usable vision of a patient can be reduced further.

5. Night Blindness (nyctalopia)
Close to its literal term, Night blindness is where it’s difficult for patients to see outside at night or in any dimly lit places like restaurants or movie theaters. Also known as nyctalopia, patients develop this impairment because of the inability to quickly adapt oneself from a well-lighted to a poorly-lighted (illuminated) environment. Most of these vision impairments can be improved and treated by visiting the right optical or eye center.

Vision Impairment FAQs

How can vision impairment affect everyday life?

Vision impairment can decrease your quality of life by hindering the regular activities and tasks you perform.

How can I prevent vision impairment?

Our eyes are a significant part of our body and involve in almost every activity we do. It is essential to take care of your eyes by eating healthy, refraining from bad habits that can cause harm your eyes. You must protect your eyes whenever needed by wearing sunglasses or eye protection. Regular visits to the eye clinic can keep you away from problems in your vision.

From what distance can visually impaired patients see?

This depends on the type of vision impairment a patient has and its condition. Most visually impaired patients can only see objects from a certain distance. This distance can either be close to right in front of the eyes or far as 40 feet away. For some patients objects or people may appear blurry from a distance.

Can visually impaired patients still lead normal lives?

Yes absolutely. Firstly with the right treatment a visual impairment can be improved, especially at an early stage. On the other hand, many patients with visual impairments also adjust to the condition or impairment better and live a normal life as many do.