How Would You Cope Not Being Able To See?
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.
Most of us take our vision for granted. But just take a second and imagine what your world would be like if you couldn’t see. No more reading nor watching movies, and even worse, no more focusing on the faces of the people you love.
Low vision is a term used when a person’s visual impairment cannot be corrected by contact lenses, glasses, medication, or surgery. Over 4.2 million Americans aged 40 and over are visually impaired, and that number is increasing year on year and predicted to reach 7.2 million by 2030.
Some of the most common causes of low vision in middle-aged and older people include age-related macular degeneration, diabetes, cataracts, and glaucoma. Early warning signs include difficulty recognizing faces or getting around the neighborhood, a blurred area near the center of your vision, or trouble selecting and matching the color of clothes.
The sooner vision loss or eye disease is detected, the greater the chances of keeping your remaining vision, so ensure you go for an eye examination every one to two years, depending on what other medical conditions you may have. Even if your eye care professional says that “nothing more can be done for your vision”, do not lose hope, because there are vision rehabilitation programs that can help you to remain independent and enjoy an active life.
The National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP) Low Vision Education program provides free support and advice to people with deteriorating vision. Some other low vision services may also be funded by Medicare but need to be ordered by a doctor.
Knowing that you are losing your vision can be troubling, but help is available through NEHEP.
Posted February 2019
Read this next
One-Third of Americans Don't Know Vision Risks From Solar Eclipse, Survey Finds
TUESDAY, April 2, 2024 -- A total eclipse of the sun is coming up next week, and many folks don’t know that watching it unprotected can cause permanent eye damage, a new...
AI Outperforms Eye Docs in Managing Glaucoma
FRIDAY, Feb. 23, 2024 (HealthDay news) -- Artificial intelligence can match and even outperform human eye doctors in diagnosing and treating glaucoma, a new study finds. The...
Black People Far More Likely to Get Glaucoma, and Genes May Explain Why
TUESDAY, Jan. 23, 2024 -- Black people are five times as likely as others to develop glaucoma and up to 15 times more likely to be blinded by the degenerative eye disease. Now, a...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.
