What is LOW VISION?

Low Vision is a bilateral impairment to vision that significantly impairs the functioning of the patient and cannot be adequately corrected with medical, surgical, therapy, conventional eyewear or contact lenses.

What are symptoms of LOW VISION?

It is often a loss of sharpness or acuity but may present as a loss of field of vision, light sensitivity, distorted vision or loss of contrast.

What are the causes of LOW VISION?

Children as well as adults can be visually impaired, sometimes as a result of a birth defect or an injury. Low vision is mostly a problem that afflicts seniors. Aging process like macular degeneration or distorted and/or blurred from Diabetic Retinopathy are a few causes along with glaucoma or Retinitis Pigmentosa can lose their peripheral vision and have difficulty seeing at night.

Vision loss can be very traumatic, and leads to frustration and depression.

What happens in Low Vision Examination?

The Low Vision Examination begins with a complete history. Special emphasis is placed on the functional problems of the patient including such items as vision to read, functioning in the kitchen, glare problems, travel vision, the workplace, television viewing, school requirements, etc. It will also include a careful review of your ocular and medical history.

Preliminary test may include assessment of ocular functions such as depth perception, colour vision, contrast sensitivity, curvature of the front of the eye. Careful measurements will be made of the visual acuity using low vision test charts followed by low vision refraction. Low vision test charts include a larger range of letters to more accurately determine a starting point for measurement of low vision. Low vision refraction determines the measurement of the patient's prescription by special techniques which may include changing the lighting levels, testing through filters and using larger changes which may be easier for you to view.

If the patient has decreased acuity, the doctor may test with various telescopic systems which magnify distance vision. These may be spectacle mounted or handheld. He may also assess your response to filters to control glare, Various reading aids including strong reading eyewear, magnifiers, electronic magnifiers and even electronic reading machines may be tested.

Visual fields are usually evaluated and if the patient has reduced visual fields, field enhancing devices may be evaluated and simple therapies to improve the patient's use of their residual field may be prescribed.

Eye health testing will include a bio microscopic examination of the external eye structures and a dilated internal examination of the retina. Glaucoma tests are performed.

The Optometrist at GANGAR EYENATION will counsel you on how your condition will affect your vision and what you may do to enhance and protect your vision. Independent living aids may be reviewed to fit specific patient problems.