We hope 2024 is off to a great start.
In this month of February, we are creating awareness about Low Vision. Low Vision is vision that is not optimally correctable with glasses, contact lenses, or surgery, and which impairs daily activities such as reading a book, crossing the road, shopping, etc. It should not be mistaken for blindness. A person with low vision still has some useful residual vision even though the visual impairment affects their activities.
Low vision is more common in older patients but it can affect people of all ages. It can be caused by different eye conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, albinism etc. Some of the symptoms of low vision are difficulty recognizing faces or objects, difficulty reading, difficulty with crossing roads or descending steps, loss of vision from the sides, poor night vision, increased light sensitivity, and reduced color vision.
It can only be diagnosed by a comprehensive eye examination. If diagnosed, the patient is sent for low vision assessment. There is currently no cure for low vision but there are devices that can help improve visual performance while carrying out tasks. Some of these low vision devices include; hand magnifiers, binoculars, telescopes, CCTV, electronic magnifiers, typoscopes etc. Low Vision affects the emotional, social, and psychological well-being of individuals hence it is also recommended that they join Low Vision support groups that will provide more support, help adjust to vision loss and provide an avenue to share experiences.
Living a healthy lifestyle may help reduce the risk of having low vision. Some habits you can imbibe are;
1. Having regular comprehensive eye examinations so that eye conditions can be detected early
2. Eating a healthy diet and consuming more vegetables and fruits
3. Exercising
4. Maintaining normal blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels
5. Protecting your eyes from harmful rays such as UV rays by using sunglasses or photochromic lenses.
6. Quitting smoking
We would be sharing more information on Low Vision and its causes on our social media pages and website. Connect with us on our social media platforms and check out our latest posts.
At Viewpoint, your eye health is our priority. Schedule an appointment to have your eyes and those of your loved ones checked today.
Have an amazing month. Until next month, many thanks.