BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuBlindness and vision lossLoss of vision; No light perception (NLP); Low vision; Vision loss and blindnessBlindness is a lack of vision. It may also refer to a loss of vision that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.Partial blindness means you have very limited vision. Complete blindness means you cannot see anything and do not see light. (Most people who use the term "blindness" mean complete blindness.) People with vision that is worse than 20/200, even with glasses or contact lenses, are considered legally blind in most states in the United States.Vision loss refers to the partial or complete loss of vision. This vision loss may happen suddenly or over a period of time.Some types of vision loss never lead to complete blindness. Causes Vision loss has many causes. In the United States, the leading causes are:Accidents or injuries to the surface of the eye (chemical burns or sports injuries) Chemical burnsChemicals that touch skin can lead to a reaction on the skin, throughout the body, or both.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Diabetes DiabetesDiabetes is a long-term (chronic) disease in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Glaucoma GlaucomaGlaucoma is a group of eye conditions that can damage the optic nerve. This nerve sends the images you see to your brain. Most often, optic nerve da...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Macular degenerationMacular degenerationMacular degeneration is an eye disorder that slowly destroys sharp, central vision. This makes it difficult to see fine details and read. The diseas...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article The type of partial vision loss may differ, depending on the cause:With cataracts, vision may be cloudy or fuzzy, and bright light may cause glare CataractsA cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article With diabetes, vision may be blurred, there may be shadows or missing areas of vision, and difficulty seeing at night With glaucoma, there may be tunnel vision and missing areas of vision With macular degeneration, the side vision is normal, but the central vision is slowly lost Other causes of vision loss include:Blocked blood vessels to the retina Complications of premature birth (retrolental fibroplasia) Retrolental fibroplasiaRetinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is abnormal blood vessel development in the retina of the eye in infants that are born too early (premature)....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Complications of eye surgery Lazy eye Lazy eyeAmblyopia is the loss of the ability to see clearly through one eye. It is also called "lazy eye. " It is the most common cause of vision problems i...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Optic neuritis Optic neuritisThe optic nerve carries images of what the eye sees to the brain. When this nerve become swollen or inflamed, it is called optic neuritis. It may c...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Stroke StrokeA stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack. " If blood flow is cut off for longer th...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Retinitis pigmentosa Retinitis pigmentosaRetinitis pigmentosa is an eye disease in which there is damage to the retina. The retina is the layer of tissue at the back of the inner eye. This...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Tumors, such as retinoblastoma and optic nerve gliomaRetinoblastomaRetinoblastoma is a rare eye tumor that usually occurs in children. It is a malignant (cancerous) tumor of the part of the eye called the retina....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Optic nerve gliomaGliomas are tumors that grow in various parts of the brain. Optic gliomas can affect:One or both of the optic nerves that carry visual information t...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Total blindness (no light perception) is often due to:Severe trauma or injury Complete retinal detachment End-stage glaucoma End stage diabetic retinopathy Severe internal eye infection (endophthalmitis) Vascular occlusion (stroke in the eye) Home Care When you have low vision, you may have trouble driving, reading, or doing small tasks such as sewing or making crafts. You can make changes in your home and routines that help you stay safe and independent. Many services will provide you with the training and support you need to live independently, including the use of low vision aids.Changes in your home and routinesLow vision is a visual disability. Wearing regular glasses or contacts does not help. People with low vision have already tried the available medic...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article When to Contact a Medical Professional Sudden vision loss is always an emergency, even if you have not completely lost vision. You should never ignore vision loss, thinking it will get better.Contact an ophthalmologist or go to the emergency room immediately. Most serious forms of vision loss are painless, and the absence of pain in no way diminishes the urgent need to get medical care. Many forms of vision loss only give you a short amount of time to be successfully treated. What to Expect at Your Office Visit Your health care provider will do a complete eye exam. The treatment will depend on the cause of the vision loss.For long-term vision loss, see a low-vision specialist, who can help you learn to care for yourself and live a full life.Open ReferencesReferencesCioffi GA, Liebmann JM. Diseases of the visual system. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 395.Colenbrander A, Fletcher DC. Vision rehabilitation. In: Kellerman RD, Rakel DP, eds. Conn's Current Therapy 2022. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:530-535.Fricke TR, Tahhan N, Resnikoff S, et al, Global prevalence of presbyopia and vision impairment from uncorrected presbyopia: systematic review, meta-analysis, and modelling. Ophthalmology. 2018;125(10):1492-1499. PMID: 29753495 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29753495/.Olitsky SE, Marsh JD. Disorders of vision. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 639.Raharja A, Whitefield L. Clinical approach to vision loss: a review for general physicians. Clin Med (Lond). 2022;22(2):95-99. PMID: 35304366 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35304366/.Rein DB, Wittenborn JS, Zhang P, et al. The economic burden of vision loss and blindness in the United States. Ophthalmology. 2022;129(4):369-378. PMID: 34560128 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34560128/.AllVideoImagesTogNeurofibromatosis I - enlarged optic foramen - illustration This x-ray shows the skull of a child with neurofibromatosis (NF-1). This child developed visual difficulties and was discovered to have a glioma (nerve tumor) in the optic nerve. The tumor has enlarged the bony opening (optic foramen), through which the optic nerve passes. This can be seen on the right side of picture.Neurofibromatosis I - enlarged optic foramenillustrationLow vision aids - illustration People with partial vision loss can use low vision aids to help them continue to read and perform other tasks that use near vision. Low vision aids include magnifiers, binoculars, high power reading glasses, and electronic video magnifiers.Low vision aidsillustrationNeurofibromatosis I - enlarged optic foramen - illustration This x-ray shows the skull of a child with neurofibromatosis (NF-1). This child developed visual difficulties and was discovered to have a glioma (nerve tumor) in the optic nerve. The tumor has enlarged the bony opening (optic foramen), through which the optic nerve passes. This can be seen on the right side of picture.Neurofibromatosis I - enlarged optic foramenillustrationLow vision aids - illustration People with partial vision loss can use low vision aids to help them continue to read and perform other tasks that use near vision. Low vision aids include magnifiers, binoculars, high power reading glasses, and electronic video magnifiers.Low vision aidsillustrationSelf Care Living with vision loss Tests for Blindness and vision loss Color vision testStandard eye examRelated Information Review Date: 8/22/2022 Reviewed By: Franklin W. Lusby, MD, Ophthalmologist, Lusby Vision Institute, La Jolla, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Blindness and vision lossLoss of vision; No light perception (NLP); Low vision; Vision loss and blindnessBlindness is a lack of vision. It may also refer to a loss of vision that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.Partial blindness means you have very limited vision. Complete blindness means you cannot see anything and do not see light. (Most people who use the term "blindness" mean complete blindness.) People with vision that is worse than 20/200, even with glasses or contact lenses, are considered legally blind in most states in the United States.Vision loss refers to the partial or complete loss of vision. This vision loss may happen suddenly or over a period of time.Some types of vision loss never lead to complete blindness. Causes Vision loss has many causes. In the United States, the leading causes are:Accidents or injuries to the surface of the eye (chemical burns or sports injuries) Chemical burnsChemicals that touch skin can lead to a reaction on the skin, throughout the body, or both.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Diabetes DiabetesDiabetes is a long-term (chronic) disease in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Glaucoma GlaucomaGlaucoma is a group of eye conditions that can damage the optic nerve. This nerve sends the images you see to your brain. Most often, optic nerve da...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Macular degenerationMacular degenerationMacular degeneration is an eye disorder that slowly destroys sharp, central vision. This makes it difficult to see fine details and read. The diseas...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article The type of partial vision loss may differ, depending on the cause:With cataracts, vision may be cloudy or fuzzy, and bright light may cause glare CataractsA cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article With diabetes, vision may be blurred, there may be shadows or missing areas of vision, and difficulty seeing at night With glaucoma, there may be tunnel vision and missing areas of vision With macular degeneration, the side vision is normal, but the central vision is slowly lost Other causes of vision loss include:Blocked blood vessels to the retina Complications of premature birth (retrolental fibroplasia) Retrolental fibroplasiaRetinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is abnormal blood vessel development in the retina of the eye in infants that are born too early (premature)....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Complications of eye surgery Lazy eye Lazy eyeAmblyopia is the loss of the ability to see clearly through one eye. It is also called "lazy eye. " It is the most common cause of vision problems i...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Optic neuritis Optic neuritisThe optic nerve carries images of what the eye sees to the brain. When this nerve become swollen or inflamed, it is called optic neuritis. It may c...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Stroke StrokeA stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack. " If blood flow is cut off for longer th...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Retinitis pigmentosa Retinitis pigmentosaRetinitis pigmentosa is an eye disease in which there is damage to the retina. The retina is the layer of tissue at the back of the inner eye. This...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Tumors, such as retinoblastoma and optic nerve gliomaRetinoblastomaRetinoblastoma is a rare eye tumor that usually occurs in children. It is a malignant (cancerous) tumor of the part of the eye called the retina....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Optic nerve gliomaGliomas are tumors that grow in various parts of the brain. Optic gliomas can affect:One or both of the optic nerves that carry visual information t...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Total blindness (no light perception) is often due to:Severe trauma or injury Complete retinal detachment End-stage glaucoma End stage diabetic retinopathy Severe internal eye infection (endophthalmitis) Vascular occlusion (stroke in the eye) Home Care When you have low vision, you may have trouble driving, reading, or doing small tasks such as sewing or making crafts. You can make changes in your home and routines that help you stay safe and independent. Many services will provide you with the training and support you need to live independently, including the use of low vision aids.Changes in your home and routinesLow vision is a visual disability. Wearing regular glasses or contacts does not help. People with low vision have already tried the available medic...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article When to Contact a Medical Professional Sudden vision loss is always an emergency, even if you have not completely lost vision. You should never ignore vision loss, thinking it will get better.Contact an ophthalmologist or go to the emergency room immediately. Most serious forms of vision loss are painless, and the absence of pain in no way diminishes the urgent need to get medical care. Many forms of vision loss only give you a short amount of time to be successfully treated. What to Expect at Your Office Visit Your health care provider will do a complete eye exam. The treatment will depend on the cause of the vision loss.For long-term vision loss, see a low-vision specialist, who can help you learn to care for yourself and live a full life.Open ReferencesReferencesCioffi GA, Liebmann JM. Diseases of the visual system. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 395.Colenbrander A, Fletcher DC. Vision rehabilitation. In: Kellerman RD, Rakel DP, eds. Conn's Current Therapy 2022. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:530-535.Fricke TR, Tahhan N, Resnikoff S, et al, Global prevalence of presbyopia and vision impairment from uncorrected presbyopia: systematic review, meta-analysis, and modelling. Ophthalmology. 2018;125(10):1492-1499. PMID: 29753495 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29753495/.Olitsky SE, Marsh JD. Disorders of vision. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 639.Raharja A, Whitefield L. Clinical approach to vision loss: a review for general physicians. Clin Med (Lond). 2022;22(2):95-99. PMID: 35304366 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35304366/.Rein DB, Wittenborn JS, Zhang P, et al. The economic burden of vision loss and blindness in the United States. Ophthalmology. 2022;129(4):369-378. PMID: 34560128 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34560128/.