Vision loss though may be directly connected to one of the five senses but it has a far greater impact that can deprive an individual of leading an independent life.
The loss of vision or eyesight for any individual may be a frightening or overwhelming condition, but what the masses fail to comprehend is the fact that vision loss has an equally significant impact on mental health along with physical wellbeing. To compensate for the visual limitations, other senses concerning touch, smell, or hearing have to be put to use, which also requires time and even extensive training to carry out day-to-day activities.
Apart from accessibility issues, individuals with vision loss may also experience the inability to maintain their independence, manage healthcare appointments and even retain employment.
This is primarily because the effects of vision loss have far greater repercussions that affect the overall quality of life, accessibility, mobility and results in day-to-day troubles related to falls, injuries, as well as declining mental health, social life, as well as the absence of education and employment opportunities.
Approx 93 million adults in the U.S are at high risk for serious vision loss
Though there are several effective approaches to managing vision care for people with low vision or vision loss, starting from routine eye examinations to low vision rehabilitation and utilization of low vision aids. However, it’s safe to say early diagnosis is one of the most impactful ways of maintaining good vision and detecting symptoms for any eye condition, injury, or refractive errors.
Vision loss may also cause difficulties in managing chronic disease, which includes self-care, in-person visits to the doctor, transportation barriers, and the effective administration of medicine.
Risks Related to Vision Loss
It’s a fact that vision loss is primarily associated with eye conditions and diseases but there are various other ways a person can risk losing their vision.
Empirical data suggests that eye diseases such as cataract, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma have been the leading causes for vision loss globally. Diabetes is also one of the commonly known diseases that are known to lead to eye conditions such as diabetic retinopathy that causes visual impairment and even blindness.
Though many would categorize a stroke as only a heart problem but researches have claimed that a stroke can lead to loss of central vision, visual field loss, visual perceptual abnormalities, and eye movement abnormalities apart from other effects such as loss of speech, etc.
The chances of experiencing vision loss after an eye surgery are relatively less but nonetheless individuals undergoing laser eye surgery or cataract surgery can suffer from vision loss. Working near sharp objects or toxic chemicals can have severely harmful effects on the eye and can even lead to vision loss in some cases.
Cases of premature birth can potentially cause retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) which is a blinding eye disorder commonly found in premature infants. The smaller the size of the infant the more likely it is for the baby to develop ROP. It is one of the most common causes of visual loss in childhood which could lead to permanent blindness.
Vision Loss Prevention Measures
In some cases, vision loss cannot be corrected due to the irreversible damage caused to the retina or the eye but even so, it is important to take necessary steps to ensure good vision health.
Here are some easy useful steps:
Impact of Early Diagnosis
We can blame the hectic schedules, busy routines, and other reasons to validate our excuses for not taking enough care of our health as we all should be. But it is important to remember that our vision plays a very important part in enabling us to carry out our day-to-day tasks and enjoy life independently. It is safe to say that most do not feel any symptoms of an eye condition early on. Regular visits to an eye specialist and an ophthalmologist are, therefore, a must, ensuring early diagnosis and treatment.
Besides, a routine eye-care checkup is the best approach towards maintaining good visual acuity apart from helping detect early signs of visual errors or eye diseases. Though equally important for younger kids and adults – for infants and younger kids it becomes much more crucial because of their early stages of development. Here’s a list of some key benefits of regular checkups and early diagnosis:
