About Blind Spots

A visual blind spot is any area with a loss of visual acuity when the surrounding areas are relatively unimpaired. Blind spots are common to all humans. Blind spots are areas insensitive to light. A normal blind spot is located where the optic nerve enters the retina at the optic disc. The reason that the optic disc is insensitive to light is that there are no rods or cones there. Rods and cones are cells that line the retina to help change visual images from the retina to electrical impulses sent to the brain.

Every person with normal vision has a blind spot in each eye. The blind spot of one eye appears in a different area in the field of vision than the other so objects within the field of vision don’t disappear. You can find some pretty interesting tests and activities to test the blind spots in your eyes. The brain will actually fill in colors and lines that it thinks you should be seeing in your blind spots.

Some people suffer from abnormal blind spots. For example, macular degeneration can occur due to damage to the retina. It is a common cause of blindness in the elderly. It involves the loss of vision in the center of the field of vision. Macular degeneration makes it difficult to recognize people or read, although peripheral vision allows its sufferers to continue with many normal daily activities.

Another type of abnormal scotoma is retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye condition that allows the sufferer to see straight ahead, but lose sight in the periphery. Other symptoms might include night blindness and tunnel vision. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a progressive disorder that can eventually lead to total loss of sight.

Another type of scotoma is known as scintillating scotoma. It often begins as a flicker of light in the center of the vision. It often precedes a migraine headache, and it can partially obscure fields of vision.

Article Source: http://www.new.citynewslive.com

To learn more about vision therapy for scotoma (blind spots) or other visual field defects review the Vision Restoration Therapy from NovaVision.

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated