Low vision: causes, symptoms and options to improve your independence
Low vision is a condition in which a person's sight is noticeably reduced and cannot be fully corrected with glasses, contact lenses or surgery. It makes everyday tasks such as reading, driving, telling faces apart, seeing prices or watching television difficult, and it can affect quality of life and emotional wellbeing. It is not total blindness: the person keeps some vision, although it is limited. At Ópticas LUPER we offer advice and aids to improve the quality of life of people with low vision in Murcia and San Pedro del Pinatar.
Types of low vision
Central low vision (makes reading and recognising faces difficult), peripheral low vision or tunnel vision, night blindness (very little vision in low light) and blurred or hazy vision.
How a person with low vision sees
Narrowing of the visual field, patchy vision with spots or areas without vision, glare and loss of contrast, and blurred or distorted vision. Each case depends on the cause and the type of low vision.
Causes of low vision
The most common include age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinitis pigmentosa, high myopia, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and cataracts, as well as eye injuries, congenital malformations and genetic diseases such as albinism.
Diagnosing low vision
It is done by the ophthalmologist, who assesses visual acuity far away and up close, the visual field and the back of the eye with the pupils dilated to detect the condition causing the loss of vision.
Optical, non-optical and digital aids for low vision
Optical aids for low vision include high-power magnifiers, low vision glasses with special magnification, telescopic lenses and microscopes, and filters that improve contrast and reduce glare. Non-optical aids are improved lighting, reading stands and adapted technology, such as phones and watches. Digital aids include electronic magnifiers and systems that help you read and identify objects and faces.
How to improve quality of life with low vision
Learning to use optical and digital aids properly, improving the lighting at home, removing obstacles, using contrasting colours and looking for emotional support from family or support groups. If you are looking for low vision opticians in Murcia, book a personalised consultation at LUPER and find out about the options that best suit your vision. See also our vision specialities.
