What You Need to Know About Blindness

Blindness is the inability to see anything, including light.

⭕What are the symptoms of blindness?

If you’re completely blind, you see nothing. If you’re partially blind, you might experience the following symptoms:

1. cloudy vision

2. an inability to see shapes

3. tunnel vision

4. poor night vision

5. seeing only shadows

Symptoms of blindness in infants

Your child’s visual system begins to develop in the womb. It doesn’t fully form until about 2 years of age.

By 6 to 8 weeks of age, your baby should be able to fix their gaze on an object and follow its movement. By 4 months of age, their eyes should be properly aligned and not turned inward or outward.

The symptoms of visual impairment in young children can include:

1. constant eye rubbing

2. poor focusing

3. an extreme sensitivity to light

4. chronic eye redness

5. chronic tearing from their eyes

6. a white instead of black pupil

7. abnormal eye alignment or movement after 6 months of age

⭕What causes blindness?

The following eye diseases and conditions can cause blindness:

1. Glaucoma refers to different eye conditions that can damage your optic nerve, which carries visual information from your eyes to your brain.

2. Macular degeneration destroys the part of your eye that enables you to see details. It usually affects older adults.

3. A lazy eye can make it difficult to see details. It may lead to vision loss.

4. Cataracts cause cloudy vision. They’re more common in older people.

5. Retinitis pigmentosa refers to damage of the retina. It leads to blindness only in rare cases.

6. Tumors that affect the retina or optic nerve can also cause blindness.

7. Optic neuritis is inflammation that can cause temporary or permanent vision loss.

Blindness is a potential complication if you have diabetes or have a stroke. Other common causes of blindness include:

1. Birth defects

2. Eye injuries

3. Complications from eye surgery

⭕Who’s at risk for blindness?

The following categories of people are at risk for blindness:

1. people with eye diseases, such as macular degeneration and glaucoma

2. people with diabetes

3. people who have a stroke

4. people undergoing eye surgery

5. people who work with or near sharp objects or toxic chemicals

6. premature babies

⭕How is blindness treated?

In some cases of vision impairment, one or more of the following may help restore vision:

1. eyeglasses

2. contact lenses

3. surgery

4. medication

If you experience partial blindness that can’t be corrected, your doctor will provide guidance on how to function with limited vision. For example, you can use a magnifying glass to read, increase the text size on your computer, and use audio clocks and audiobooks.

Complete blindness requires approaching life in a new way and learning new skills. For example, you may need to learn how to:

1. read Braille

2. use a guide dog

3. organize your home so you can easily find things and stay safe

4. fold money in distinct ways to distinguish bill amounts

You can also consider getting some adaptive products, like a specialized smartphone, color identifier, and accessible cookware. There’s even adaptive sporting equipment, like sensory soccer balls.

⭕How can blindness be prevented?

To detect eye diseases and help prevent vision loss, get regular eye examinations. If you receive a diagnosis of certain eye conditions, such as glaucoma, treatment with medication can help prevent blindness.

If you notice symptoms of vision loss between routine visits, make an appointment with your eye doctor immediately.