E-mail this page to a friend Larger Font Size Choose an illness or disability Choose an illness or disability Alzheimer's Disease Amputation Arthritis Asperger Syndrome Attention Deficit Disorder Autism Batten Disease Burn Injuries Celiac Disease Cerebral Palsy Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Crohn's Disease Cystic Fibrosis Dementia Diabetes Down Syndrome Dwarfism Epilepsy Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Fibromyalgia Hearing Loss and Deafness HIV and AIDS Huntington's Disease Intellectual Disability Learning Disabilities Lupus Multiple Sclerosis Narcolepsy Pervasive Developmental Disorders Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome Psoriasis Rare Diseases Scleroderma Speech and Language Impairments Spina Bifida Spinal Cord Injury Thyroid Diseases Traumatic Brain Injury Tuberous Sclerosis Turner Syndrome Ulcerative Colitis Unintentional Injury Vision Problems and Blindness Williams Syndrome

Vision Problems & Blindness

Home > Illnesses and Disabilities Home > Types of Illnesses & Disabilities > Vision Problems & Blindness

There are many types of eye problems and visual disturbances. Some conditions make it harder for you to see things clearly but don't cause any loss of vision. These include:

• myopia, or nearsightedness, in which you can see nearby objects clearly but have trouble focusing on distant objects.
• hyperopia, or farsightedness, in which you can see distant objects clearly but have trouble focusing on nearby objects.
• astigmatism, in which vision may be blurred at any distance.

These common conditions can be corrected with prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, or, in some cases, surgery.

Low vision, or vision loss, means that even with glasses, contact lenses, medicine, or surgery, you still have problems seeing. Most people develop low vision because of eye diseases or health conditions. The most common causes of low vision among adults in the United States are:

• diabetic retinopathy, in which diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels inside your retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye).
• age-related macular degeneration, in which cells in the retina that allow you to see fine detail die.
• glaucoma, in which the fluid pressure inside your eyes slowly rises, damaging the optic nerve (the nerve that carries visual information from the eye to the brain).
• cataract, which is a clouding of the lens in your eye. The lens focuses light coming into the eye onto the retina.

Although these eye diseases are more common among older people, vision loss is not a normal part of aging. Often, vision loss can be prevented. Routine eye exams can spot vision problems early. Prompt treatment can sometimes prevent vision problems from getting worse.

If you have some vision loss, visual aids such as special glasses and large print books can make life easier. There are also devices to help those who are totally blind. These include Braille books and computer programs that convert text into speech.

Additional Resources

Publications

1.   Helping a Loved One - This guide is written for the loved ones of those with low vision. It provides strategies to help you communicate more effectively with your loved one and other related resources.

   http://www.nei.nih.gov/lowvision/content/helping.asp

2.   Low Vision - This publication provides information on low vision in the elderly, including an explanation of the different risk factors and causes. It also provides information on the different signs and symptoms and the rehabilitation techniques to correct low vision.

   http://nihseniorhealth.gov/lowvision/toc.html

3.   Social Security: If You Are Blind or Have Low Vision - How We Can Help - This booklet explains the services available to people who are legally blind or have low vision so they can get the most out of Social Security programs.

   http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10052.html

4.   Vision Impairment - This web page links to information from the CDC about vision impairment and other developmental disabilities.

   http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dd/ddvi.htm

5.   What You Should Know About Low Vision - Low vision means that even with regular glasses, contact lenses, medicine, or surgery, people find everyday tasks difficult to do. Reading the mail, shopping, cooking, seeing the TV, and writing can seem challenging. This booklet will help people with vision loss and their families and friends better understand low vision. It describes how to get help and live more safely and independently.

   http://www.nei.nih.gov/nehep/what.asp

6. General Information About Visual Impairments - Information on visual impairments including definition, incidence, characteristic, and educational implications.

   http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs13txt.htm

Organizations

1.   National Eye Institute, NIH, HHS
2. American Foundation for the Blind
3. Foundation Fighting Blindness
4. Prevent Blindness America

= Indicates Federal Resources

Content last updated May 15, 2008.