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  • Writer's pictureThabo Baseki

Signs and Symptoms of Sight Loss

This article is based on source material from urban-optics.com
A doctor examines a patient's eyes

Out of all the five senses, if you were asked to choose one you want to lose, what would it be? No one has been made with a feeling of wanting to lose any of our senses, and before it is lost completely, our body has been designed to give some signs. Early detection of conditions that could cause one to lose sight may help to attack the problem before it is too late. Let us review in this article, some signs that will alert you of your sight loss.


Signs of Sight Loss

These signs may display in two ways. You may notice them gradually or overtime, and some may just fall on you suddenly.

  • Sudden eye pain

  • Red eyes

  • Uncontrolled tears or liquid falling off from your eyes

  • Sensitivity to lighting

  • Decrease in Vision

  • Seeing what looks like a curtain covering over one eye

  • Seeing flashes of light

  • Double vision

  • Seeing rainbows around light

  • Blurry vision: Having difficulty reading text on a paper or screen and recognizing people’s faces

  • Color changes on your eyes

  • White areas in the pupil


What if you have started any of these signs? Is there hope for correction? Unfortunately, many illnesses that cause sight loss cannot be cured; however, there are treatment options that can slow the progression of the disease and preserve your sight for longer. Consulting an optician is a great idea in this regard. You may be given prescriptions that will improve the situation for the better such as lance, medication, and other essential provisions for your sight.


Diagnosed with Low Vision

If your vision is 20/200 with the highest level of correction, you would be diagnosed with low vision. No! This is not the end of it all. There are low vision aids that can help you see better, making your vision loss more manageable. Handheld magnifiers, text reading software, large print publications, and audiobooks can all be very helpful.


Pronounced Blind

According to Iowa Department for the Blind, legal blindness occurs when a person has central visual acuity (vision that allows a person to see straight ahead of them) of 20/200 or less in his or her better eye with correction. With 20/200 visual acuity, a person can see at 20 feet, what a person with 20/20 vision sees at 200 feet.


Does It End It All?

Not at all! There are accessibility solutions to help you when faced with this life-changing situation. These includes screen readers, audiobooks, braille, tactile resources, blind mobility resources, videos and articles created by blind people as well as experts in the field of blindness.


Coming Next

It’s the holiday season, and you may, or you will soon, start posting memories of your loved ones. How can you make your social posts accessible, so that by any chance you do not leave someone in your audience hanging?

Find out in our next article.


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