Low vision occurs when your eyesight has diminished to the point where it cannot be improved by regular eyewear or standard refractive surgeries. Low vision may prevent you from doing your daily tasks hassle-free, compromising your quality of life.
Park Slope Eye, your leading provider of contact lenses and other quality eye care, talks about low vision and our suggested management.
How Low Vision Happens
Increasing age may put you at a higher risk of developing eye conditions, such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration. Chronic eye diseases that are unmanaged may lead to low vision. Congenital eye diseases, uncorrected refractive errors, as well as traumatic eye and brain injuries, may also result in this problem.
Low vision prevents you from seeing things within your visual field clearly. Your central and peripheral vision may also be compromised. You may struggle with daily tasks and activities that used to be effortless. You may need assistance when cooking, driving or even reading. Your depth and contrast perception may be diminished, as well. Having sluggish visual reflexes is a common concern too. Experiencing any of these symptoms is a sign to visit your eye doctor immediately for a more thorough assessment.
How to Manage Low Vision
During a low vision exam, we will start by asking about your medical history and visual health. This can help us establish your risk of having low vision and determine the possible causes. We will also measure your visual acuity to evaluate the extent of your compromised vision. We may have you undergo other eye tests, as well.
Upon confirming you have low vision, we may suggest vision therapy as part of your treatment plan. Similar to physical therapy, it’s a rehabilitation program that aims to enhance and strengthen your visual capacity and skills. This may include using special lenses, prisms and other modalities. We may ask you to perform certain sets of eye exercises for a specified time, which can help you regain independence over your individual tasks for better quality of life.
Complete our form to request an appointment and learn more about low vision. We serve Brooklyn and nearby NY areas.
