VISION FAILURE #1: INFORMATION FOR YOUR DOCTOR VISIT

This is the continuation of a series of videos designed to give individuals information that they can use to prepare for a visit to a physician. The videos are designed to help insure that the individual can ask appropriate questions of the physician and to increase the likelihood that quality care is delivered.

VISION FAILURE

There are many causes of vision failure.

The commonest cause seen in the physician’s office is a simple refractive error.

Refractive error means that the shape of your eye does not bend light correctly, resulting in a blurred image. The main types of refractive errors are myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), presbyopia (loss of near vision with age), and astigmatism.

Astigmatism is a common vision condition that causes blurred vision. It occurs when the cornea (the clear front cover of the eye) is irregularly shaped or sometimes because of the curvature of the lens inside the eye.

Refractive errors can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery. Eyeglasses are the simplest and safest way to correct refractive errors.

Your eye care professional can prescribe appropriate lenses to correct your refractive error and give you optimal vision.

Sudden failure of vision:

Virtually all cases of sudden loss of vision require urgent treatment. The only exception might be temporary vision loss associated with migraine.

In the west the commonest causes of vision failure are

Senile cataracts

Glaucoma

Age-related macular degeneration,

Diabetic retinopathy

and Trauma.

The commonest causes of sudden vision loss are a transient occlusion of the retinal artery, a condition with fancy name of amaurosis fugax, and migraine.

We will discuss amaurosis fugax in a later video on vision failure.

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