Things to know about Vision loss and Impairment

Vision loss and Visual impairment is a global problem, where WHO has claimed almost 285 million people being visually impaired. Out of these, almost 80% people could have avoided or been cured if they reported the problem on time. A sudden blurriness or vision loss can be terrifying but one should report to a specialist doctor, so that the problem can be diagnosed and treated before it becomes a serious issue. Vision loss can happen because of various vision related problems and diseases like retinal detachment, Diabetic retinopathy ,macular hole, Occlusion of retinal artery, Vitreous Hemorrhage and so on. There are various ocular surgeries available in the market for treatment of vision related problems like Laser eye surgery, Cataract surgery, Vitrectomy, Eye muscle surgery and much more. The most prevailing surgery is Vitrectomy as there is a large number of geriatric populations worldwide who face problems like retinal hemorrhage, retinal detachment, Glaucoma and various other eye infections and diseases. Vitrectomy is done to remove vitreous gel from the eye. There is a lot of technological development in Vitrectomy surgeries and the Vitrectomy device market is on the rise due to the high percentage of geriatric population.

Let’s understand how to identify vision loss and its types and what are age related vision problems.

1. What do you understand about Vision Impairment and loss?

There are varied cases and situations in which Vision loss and impairment can be identified. If an individual experiences a sudden vision loss that doesn't mean a permanent blindness but should seek a doctor's advice immediately. There are times when there is blurriness or sudden loss of vision in one eye whereas the other eye is absolutely fine. Sometimes the blindness persists for a few minutes to hours but then the vision resumes to normal. In any of the above cases, the individual should immediately report to the doctor to avoid permanent loss of vision.

2. Types of Vision Impairment and problems.

There are several types of Vision Impairment out of which leading types are Retina detachment, Occlusion and narrowing of retinal artery due to cholesterol plaques, hemorrhage in vitreous humor of the eye better known as Vitreous Hemorrhage, Amaurosis Fugax, Glaucoma, age related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy and macular hole.

3. Does aging cause Vision Impairment?

Vision related problems and diseases can be more prevalent with age but this is not strictly applicable to elderly people as it can affect anyone at any age. Vision problems bring discomfort so one can do some simple things like using bright lights, frequent visits to doctor and having a healthy diet to avoid vision related problems and improve vision.

Ageing brings vision problems like

● Presbyopia - loss of ability to see closer things or small fonts

● Floaters - Elderly people report seeing tiny specks in a well lighted room. Although, this comes with age but can be early signs of retinal detachment. If an individual witness specks accompanied with light flashes then an immediate medical consultation is required.

● Cataracts - Cataracts form a cloudy area in front of the eye lens thereby hinders that light from reaching the back of the eye. Cataracts form gradually without causing any pain, redness and tears in eyes. When they start causing discomfort in vision they are removed by surgery.

● Retinal disorders - Retina is a thin line in the back of the eye that detects images and sends it to the brain. Retinal disorders damage the retina and thereby interrupt with transfer of images. Some of the retinal disorders are Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), Diabetic retinopathy and retinal detachment.

● Glaucoma - Glaucoma is a condition where the pressure inside the eye increases which can result in permanent loss of vision. The reasons for occurrence of Glaucoma are many like age, heredity, diabetes, race and medications. In most cases Glaucoma is not detected at an earlier stage as it doesn’t show any sign of discomfort due to increased eye pressure.

The above given vision problems can be cured by proper medication and if required Vitrectomy is done to improve vision. With technological advancement in Vitrectomy device market better treatments are available to help people overcome vision impairment and loss.