Changes in your vision can affect how you navigate the world. You might find it harder to read a menu, recognize a friend across the street, or enjoy your favorite hobbies. When these challenges persist even with glasses or contacts, it’s natural to question whether you might need an in-depth eye exam.
Understanding the cause of your vision loss is the first step toward finding solutions that can help. Low vision is a term for sight loss that can’t be corrected with regular eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery.
A Clear Definition of Low Vision
While low vision is a personal experience, we also have clinical standards to help define it. These measurements consider both the sharpness of your sight and its impact on your daily life.
How Eye Doctors Measure Vision
We measure your visual acuity with numbers like 20/20. A low vision diagnosis may be considered when your vision is 20/70 or poorer in your better eye, even with corrective lenses. This simply means you must be 20 feet from an object to see it as clearly as a person with typical vision can see it from 70 feet away.
Low Vision Goes Beyond Numbers
Your personal experience is just as important as any number on a chart. Low vision is also defined by how sight loss affects your ability to perform daily activities. If your vision interferes with your work, independence, or hobbies, then it’s likely to count as low vision.
Can Regular Glasses Fix Low Vision?
No, standard prescription glasses or contacts do not correct low vision. These lenses are designed to fix refractive errors—like nearsightedness or farsightedness—by focusing light correctly on your retina. Low vision, however, often stems from an underlying eye condition that glasses alone cannot address.
Common Causes of Reduced Vision
Several eye diseases and health conditions can lead to low vision. Some develop gradually with age, while others can be present from birth or childhood. Identifying the cause is an important step toward managing the condition.
Age-Related Eye Conditions
Certain conditions become more common as you get older. These are some of the frequent causes of low vision in adults and seniors.
- Age-Related Macular Degeneration: This condition affects your central vision, making it difficult to see fine details. Fortunately, there are many low vision aids for macular degeneration available to help.
- Glaucoma: This condition often damages your peripheral vision.
- Cataracts: This is a clouding of the eye’s natural lens that can cause blurry or hazy vision.
Conditions from Other Health Issues
Your overall health is closely linked to your eye health. For example, diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that damages the blood vessels in the retina. This can cause blurred vision or spots in your field of sight.
Inherited & Childhood Conditions
Low vision can also affect children and young adults. Inherited conditions like retinitis pigmentosa can cause a gradual loss of night and side vision. Amblyopia—sometimes called lazy eye—is another condition where vision in one eye does not develop properly.
Different Types of Vision Loss
Low vision can appear in many different forms, and it’s possible to experience more than one type of vision loss. How you see the world depends on which part of your vision is affected. The appearance of any of these symptoms makes routine eye disease diagnosis and management an important priority. Common symptoms include:
- Loss of Central Vision: You may notice a blind spot or a blur right in the middle of your sight.
- Loss of Peripheral (Side) Vision: This can make you feel like you’re looking through a narrow tube.
- Blurred Vision: Objects both near and far may appear out of focus, even with your glasses on.
- Reduced Contrast Sensitivity: You might have trouble telling the difference between similar colors or shades.
- Glare & Light Sensitivity: Bright light can feel uncomfortable or even painful.
- Night Blindness: It can be difficult to see in low-light environments like a dim restaurant or outside at dusk.
Low Vision vs. Legal Blindness
You may hear people use the terms low vision and legal blindness interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings. Legal blindness is a specific term defined by the government. It’s used to determine eligibility for certain programs and benefits.
The Specifics of Legal Blindness
In the United States, a person is considered legally blind if their best-corrected vision is 20/200 or less in their better eye. An individual also meets the definition if their visual field is 20 degrees or less. This means their side vision is severely restricted.
What Qualifies as a Disability for SSI?
The definition of legal blindness is what the Social Security Administration uses to determine qualification for disability benefits. A diagnosis of legal blindness can help you access important support services and resources. Government agencies track vision loss statistics to understand the scope of these conditions nationally and provide a standard for a wide range of assistance programs.
How to Manage Life with Low Vision
A low vision diagnosis doesn’t mean you have to give up your independence or the activities you love. Vision rehabilitation focuses on helping you make the most of your remaining sight. An eye doctor in San Francisco can connect you with tools and strategies to help you adapt.
The Role of a Low Vision Exam
A low vision exam is different from a routine eye exam. During our low vision care assessments, we’ll evaluate your functional vision and discuss how it affects your daily life to find practical solutions.
Tools & Aids to Help
There are many tools available to make everyday tasks easier for people with low vision. These aids can magnify text, enhance light, and provide other types of support. They include:
- Spectacle-mounted magnifiers and telescopes
- Handheld or stand magnifiers with built-in lights
- Electronic video magnifiers that display enlarged images on a screen
- Assistive technology for computers and phones, such as screen readers
If you or a loved one is experiencing vision loss that gets in the way of daily life, we encourage you to schedule a comprehensive eye exam. At Total Vision Financial District, we can provide a thorough evaluation to understand your vision and explore the right support for you. A complete assessment from an eye doctor is the first step toward taking proactive control of your eye health.
