Millions of Americans live with low vision, a visual impairment that complicates everyday activities such as recognizing faces, reading, or checking text messages. While not a natural part of aging, the eye conditions that cause low vision become more common with age. Low Vision Awareness Month serves as a critical reminder for individuals to have comprehensive eye exams and to explore steps that can ease daily life for those affected.
Low vision is diagnosed when an individual cannot see well enough to perform routine tasks like reading, driving, recognizing faces, distinguishing colors, or seeing screens clearly. The most common causes are age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy, a condition leading to vision loss in people with diabetes. The impairment manifests in several forms, including central vision loss, peripheral vision loss, night blindness, and blurry or hazy vision.
A comprehensive dilated eye exam, which is simple and painless, can diagnose low vision. During the exam, a doctor assesses the ability to read letters at various distances and to see objects in the center and edges of the visual field. Eye drops are used to widen the pupils to check for underlying eye problems. While low vision is typically permanent, glasses, medication, or surgery may assist with daily activities or slow its progression.
For those living with low vision, practical adjustments can significantly improve quality of life. Minor vision loss may be managed with brighter lighting, anti-glare sunglasses, and magnifiers. Adjusting device settings to increase contrast, enlarge text, or enable read-aloud functions on phones and computers can also help. When vision loss interferes with everyday activities, vision rehabilitation services become essential. These services provide skills and resources to maintain independence and include employment training, environmental modifications like improved lighting, assistive devices such as magnifiers and screen readers, adaptive strategies for daily living, emotional support through counseling or support groups, and assistance with transportation and household services.
Finding appropriate vision rehabilitation services requires collaboration with an eye doctor or care team to discuss individual needs and goals. For additional resources and information, visit https://nei.nih.gov/VisionRehab. This awareness initiative underscores the importance of proactive eye care and the availability of support systems that empower individuals with low vision to navigate daily challenges effectively.
