LIVING WITH LOW
VISION
Low vision is when a person’s sight can't necessarily be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.
Low vision doesn't develop just because of old age. Your vision can get worse as a result of cataracts,age-related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy.
According to a research , around 2 million people have significant sight loss in the UK.
Very few people have complete ‘black’ blindness, so any residual vision (remaining eyesight) needs to be maximised. People often go to a clinic hoping that a pair of glasses will fix their vision, but this may not always be possible. Low vision is treated by maximising the patient’s eyesight beyond what glasses or contact lenses can achieve.
When should you visit the optician?
Any decline in your sight should be checked by an optician. Signs that you need to seek help include:
- colors look a bit washed out
- you’re finding it difficult to judge the depth of steps
- straight lines look wobbly
- you find it hard to read
What support is available for low vision?
A visit to your optician is a good place to start. If a problem is detected, you'll be referred to the hospital to see an ophthalmologist (eye doctor). Your GP will be kept informed, and will give you extra support and advice if you need it.
If the eye doctor finds that your vision can't be improved by medical or surgical treatment, you may be referred to a low- vision clinic. At the clinic, an optometrist can advise you about lighting and low-vision aids.
Being told you can't see (and that glasses or surgery can't improve your vision) can be a shock. It can be difficult to get used to that level of sight loss, but support is available from your clinic
What is a low-vision aid?
A low-vision aid can be one of the following:
An optical low-vision aid, such as illuminated magnifiers, hand-held magnifiers or flat magnifiers. Aids for viewing faraway objects include monoculars and binoculars.
A non-optical low-vision aid, which includes everything from an anglepoise lamp, to bold-print books or liquid level indicators. These beep to stop you burning yourself when using hot water.
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