Common Causes of Vision Loss

Have you or a loved one noticed any vision loss? There are many causes of vision loss or impairment. Some of the most common include:
• Eye injury
• Stroke (apoplexy)
• Blunt head trauma (Post-Trauma Vision Syndrome)
• Glaucoma
• Presbyopia
• Farsightedness (hyperopia)
• Nearsightedness (myopia)
• Astigmatism
• Cataracts
• Macular degeneration
• Optic nerve damage
• Diabetic retinopathy

This is not a complete list of all causes of vision loss or impairment, but they are some of the most common. It has been said that at least a third of all people suffer some sort of disease which reduces vision by age 65. The most common causes of visual impairment among the elderly are macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy.

Macular degeneration involves the loss of the center of the field of vision due to retinal damage. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of legal blindness in people over 65, although it rarely causes total vision loss. Glaucoma accompanies a buildup of pressure within the eye and it usually affects the optic nerve. The outer periphery of the visual field narrows until there is a complete loss of vision. When cataracts occur, there is a clouding of the lens in the eye, causing blurred vision. As the cataracts grow, total blindness can result. Diabetic retinopathy is a result of damage to the blood vessels in the retina. It is a side effect of diabetes and it is the leading cause of blindness in adults in the United States. Within some sufferers of diabetic retinopathy, the blood vessels in the eyes can leak. Other sufferers may grow new blood vessels that cover the retina. The retina is the layer of cells on the back of the eye that send electric impulses to the brain about visual images the eyes take in.

A diet high in carotenoids can reduce the chances of age-related macular degeneration. Two carotenoids are lutein and zeaxanthin. Some of the foods with much of these carotenoids include green leafy vegetables, green beans, egg yolk, kiwi, celery, orange juice, cucumbers, peppers, mango, and scallions.

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

Patients seeking vision rehabilitation should review the vision therapy options available through NovaVision's Vision Restoration Therapy.

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