Low vision occurs when your eyesight has diminished to the point where it cannot be improved by using regular eyewear or performing standard refractive surgeries. This may cause you problems when doing your everyday activities, reducing your quality of life. For your understanding, your reliable eye doctor from Northern Virginia Doctors of Optometry answers common questions about this visual impairment.
Q: How Does Low Vision Happen?
Increasing age may put you at a higher risk of developing eye conditions, like macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. These diseases may lead to low vision when left uncontrolled. That said, congenital ocular problems, uncorrected refractive errors, as well as traumatic brain and eye injuries may also have this problem as one of its long-term complications.
Q: How Does Low Vision Affect My Life?
Low vision may cause difficulties seeing objects or recognizing faces whether at a distance or up-close. It may also affect your peripheral and central visual capacities. You may have a hard time finishing your everyday tasks, like reading, cooking, or driving. Your depth and contrast perception may be diminished as well. You may notice that you need assistance when distinguishing the different hues and seeing in dimmed places. Having sluggish visual reflexes may require undergoing low vision therapy too.
Q: How Is Low Vision Identified?
As soon as you experience any of these manifestations, head to our clinic immediately. We may perform a low vision exam to evaluate your current visual acuity and strength as well as establish your remaining useful eyesight. The earlier we detect this problem, the better chances we have of preserving your vision. We’ll also conduct necessary tests to determine the root cause of this problem.
Q: How is Low Vision Managed?
We may recommend a rehabilitation program to strengthen and enhance your visual capacity. We may include eye exercises, high power eyeglasses, and prisms as part of your regimen. Audiobooks, computer-assisted activities, and other visual aids are also effective as adjunct therapies. This way, you’ll regain your independence for a better quality of life.
If you have any further questions about low vision, call us at (703) 660-9494 for Alexandria, (703) 413-1400 if you are in Crystal City, (703) 522-7676 if you are in Clarendon, (703) 573-1200 for Falls Church, and (703) 467-9080 for Reston. You may also fill out our form to request an appointment. We serve VA families in Reston and nearby Virginia areas.