Without healthy eyesight, many tasks that we normally take for granted cannot be done. There is an eye disorder called low Vision that affects a record number of 14 million Americans and 135 million people worldwide. According to eye care practitioners, this eye disorder makes it extremely challenging to go about everyday tasks such as driving, shopping, watching television, reading, writing and even recognizing faces. At first glance, this may appear to be a hopeless situation. However, advances in traditional medical technology are providing vision solutions for low vision sufferers. These vision strategies help the patient to make the most out of their remaining eyesight thereby helping them to cope better with their vision challenges as they go about their daily activities.
What are the causes of low vision? According to the American Academy Of Ophthalmology, the causes of low vision are the following: Eye diseases such as Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy, and Retinitis Pigmentosa. Some other possible causes include eye injuries. Macular Degeneration is the biggest risk factor for this eye disorder as more than 50% of the cases for low vision are associated with this eye disease. This eye disorder is generally age-related, however, it is important to note that this problem does not occur with people who have normal healthy eyes. People with normal healthy eyes won’t develop this eye disorder with the process of aging. According to the American Optometric Association, if you have an existing eye disease like Macular Degeneration or Glaucoma, then you are included in the risk factor category to develop this eye disorder. Additional causes of low vision include eye albinism (a condition triggered by an absence of melanin that causes white skin, light hair and vision problems), and a brain aneurism.
There is actually some hope for people with low vision due to the fact that there is a difference between blindness and low vision. For instance, even though low vision may seem to be a debilitating eye disorder it should not be confused with blindness. Blindness is defined as visual acuity that is 20/200 or worse, but the low vision is defined by an eye disease that is characterized by visual acuity of 20/70 or worse in the affected eye. Therefore, the low vision sufferer still has some useful sight that a vision therapist can work with to learn skills to help them overcome this vision challenge.
The patient with low vision can still be somewhat optimistic about their treatment options as conventional medicine offers vision aid devices such as magnifiers, reading prisms and large-print reading materials to help the low vision sufferer see clearly. Additionally, Eye Care vision Centers such as the Kellogg Eye Center in Michigan, offer a team of eye care practitioners in the field of optometry and ophthalmology that provide vision rehabilitative services for their patients. This helps the patient to maximize their remaining eyesight so that they can regain their independence and increase their ability to cope with this eye disorder in a better way.
As the saying goes an ounce of prevention is better than cure. From this point of view, it is important to devote attention to taking the proper care of your eyes now, and on a daily basis, as a form of preventive medicine, so that you won’t have to deal with this eye disorder later on in life.
You can accomplish this by making sure that your eyes are supplied with the right nutrition that would prevent the development of age-related eye diseases which happen to be a major risk factor for this eye disorder. You can do this by eating a diet rich in carotenoids that includes fruits and dark green leafy vegetables such as Broccoli, Kale, and Spinach. Additionally, considering the fact that 90% of Americans are not getting the recommended daily allowance for vitamins and minerals, take a high-quality multivitamin that consists of antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, E Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Zinc, and Copper.
Most eye disorders like low vision occur as a result of neglecting the care of your eyes for many years. As a preventive measure, an eye exercise program can provide you with the knowledge of nutrition that is necessary to keep your eyes healthy for a lifetime. From such a program you will learn what herbs, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and foods you can consume to protect your eye health and eliminate the risk factors for age-related eye diseases. This approach to preventive medicine will also provide eye exercises to improve circulation to the visual system and keep it healthy for a lifetime. Factors that ultimately, significantly, reduce your risks for low vision.