Low vision is an issue that describes when you have a severely reduce level of vision. It can interfere with your ability to drive, read, or perform various other tasks. At Wight Eye Care, serving Loves Park, IL, and the surrounding areas, we can diagnose and treat this condition to help you optimize your vision as much as possible.
General Information about Low Vision
Low vision refers to a condition that occurs when you have a drastic amount of vision loss. Even with glasses or contacts, you still have a reduce level of vision because they can't correct your vision enough.
How Low Vision Can Affect You
With low vision, you may lose your ability to drive because most states require you to have a visual acuity better than that with glasses or contacts. When you have low vision, you might also notice a decrease in your color vision. It could affect your night and peripheral vision as well.
Causes of Low Vision
You could develop low vision as you get older, but it doesn't happen to everyone as they age. Certain eye health conditions may cause low vision, such as age-related macular deterioration. Cataracts and glaucoma are also more common as you age and can contribute to low vision. Some people develop low vision as the result of a genetic disorder or from a brain or eye injury.
Diagnosing Low Vision
Diagnosing low vision at our eye care practice will begin with a vision examination. You look at different lines of letters magnified at different powers. You tell us which one appears the clearest, which helps us determine how much vision correction you require.
We also conduct an eye health exam that will consist of a dilation examination. With this test, our optometry specialist will place eye drops in your eyes. They'll dilate your pupil so we can use look inside your eye using a magnification device. We can then look for issues that could contribute to low vision.
We control the vision deficit as much as possible with contacts or glasses. However, often, we need to treat the underlying condition that's causing the low vision, such as referring you for cataract surgery. We'll provide you with education on how to cope with your low vision as well.
Contact Us for More Information
Schedule an appointment with us at Wight Eye Care, serving Loves Park, IL, and the neighboring communities, to be assessed for low vision by calling 815-708-7083.