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Blindness and vision loss
Loss of vision; No light perception (NLP); Low vision; Vision loss and blindness
Blindness is a lack of vision. It may also refer to a loss of vision that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.
- Partial blindness means you have very limited vision.
- Complete blindness means you cannot see anything and DO NOT see light. (Most people who use the term "blindness" mean complete blindness.)
People with vision that is worse than 20/200 with glasses or contact lenses are considered legally blind in most states in the United States.
Vision loss refers to the partial or complete loss of vision. This vision loss may happen suddenly or over a period of time.
Some types of vision loss never lead to complete blindness.
Causes
Blindness has many causes. In the United States, the leading causes are:
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Accidents or injuries to the surface of the eye (
chemical burns
or sports injuries)
Chemical burns
Chemicals that touch skin can lead to a reaction on the skin, throughout the body, or both.
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Diabetes
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.
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Glaucoma
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that can damage the optic nerve. This nerve sends the images you see to your brain. Most often, optic nerve da...
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Macular degeneration
Macular degeneration
Macular degeneration is an eye disorder that slowly destroys sharp, central vision. This makes it difficult to see fine details and read. The diseas...
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The type of partial vision loss may differ, depending on the cause:
- With cataracts , vision may be cloudy or fuzzy, and bright light may cause glare
- With diabetes, vision may be blurred, there may be shadows or missing areas of vision, and difficulty seeing at night
- With glaucoma, there may be tunnel vision and missing areas of vision
- With macular degeneration, the side vision is normal but the central vision is slowly lost
Other causes of vision loss include:
- Blocked blood vessels
-
Complications of premature birth (
retrolental fibroplasia
)
Retrolental fibroplasia
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is abnormal blood vessel development in the retina of the eye. It occurs in infants that are born too early (premat...
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Lazy eye
Lazy eye
Amblyopia is the loss of the ability to see clearly through one eye. It is also called "lazy eye. " It is the most common cause of vision problems i...
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Optic neuritis
Optic neuritis
The optic nerve carries images of what the eye sees to the brain. When this nerve become swollen or inflamed, it is called optic neuritis. It may c...
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Stroke
Stroke
A stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack. " If blood flow is cut off for longer th...
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Retinitis pigmentosa
Retinitis pigmentosa
Retinitis pigmentosa is an eye disease in which there is damage to the retina. The retina is the layer of tissue at the back of the inner eye. This...
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Tumors, such as
retinoblastoma
and
optic glioma
Retinoblastoma
Retinoblastoma is a rare, cancerous tumor of a part of the eye called the retina.
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark ArticleOptic glioma
Gliomas are tumors that grow in various parts of the brain. Optic gliomas can affect:One or both of the optic nerves that carry visual information t...
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Home Care
When you have low vision, you may have trouble driving, reading, or doing small tasks such as sewing or making crafts. You can make changes in your home and routines that help you stay safe and independent. Many services will provide you with the training and support you need to live independently.
Changes in your home and routines
Low vision is a visual disability. Wearing regular glasses or contacts does not help. People with low vision have already tried the available medic...
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Sudden vision loss is always an emergency, even if you have not completely lost vision. You should never ignore vision loss, thinking it will get better.
Contact an ophthalmologist or go to the emergency room immediately. Most serious forms of vision loss are painless, and the absence of pain in no way diminishes the urgent need to get medical care. Many forms of vision loss only give you a short amount of time to be successfully treated.
What to Expect at Your Office Visit
Your health care provider will do a complete eye exam. The treatment will depend on the cause of the vision loss.
For long-term vision loss, see a low-vision specialist, who can help you learn to care for yourself and live a full life.
References
Kraut JA. Vision rehabilitation. In: Tasman W, Jaeger EA, eds. Duane's Ophthalmology 2013 edition . Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2013:vol 1, chap 46.
Olitsky SE, Hug D, Plummer LS, Stahl, ED, Ariss MM, Lindquist TP. Disorders of vision. In: Kliegman RM, Stanton BF, St. Geme JW, Schor NF, Behrman RE, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics . 20th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 621.
Yanoff M, Cameron D. Diseases of the visual system. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine . 25th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 423.
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Neurofibromatosis I, enlarged optic foramen - illustration
This x-ray shows the skull of a child with neurofibromatosis (NF-1). This child developed visual difficulties and was discovered to have a glioma (nerve tumor) in the optic nerve. The tumor has enlarged the bony opening (optic foramen), through which the optic nerve passes. This can be seen on the right side of picture.
Neurofibromatosis I, enlarged optic foramen
illustration
-
Neurofibromatosis I, enlarged optic foramen - illustration
This x-ray shows the skull of a child with neurofibromatosis (NF-1). This child developed visual difficulties and was discovered to have a glioma (nerve tumor) in the optic nerve. The tumor has enlarged the bony opening (optic foramen), through which the optic nerve passes. This can be seen on the right side of picture.
Neurofibromatosis I, enlarged optic foramen
illustration
Review Date: 8/20/2016
Reviewed By: Franklin W. Lusby, MD, Ophthalmologist, Lusby Vision Institute, La Jolla, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
