4 Leading Causes of Visual Impairment

​Millions of people suffer from eye problems all over the world. Glasses, contact lenses, and surgery are among the standard solutions for eye diseases. However, some can lead to blindness if not treated immediately.

Refractive Errors
These are among the most common vision problems in the US. These include:

• Myopia - near-sightedness
• Hyperopia - farsightedness
• Astigmatism - sight distortion in any distance
• Presbyopia - faltering vision due to old age, usually at 40-50 years of age. Common symptoms are difficulty reading phone book letter, holding the newspaper further away than usual, and inability to focus close.

However, these can all be corrected with the proper eyewear or surgery.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
AMD is a common eye disorder for geriatric patients. Because AMD damages the macula -- the center of the retina responsible for seeing fine details -- people with this disorder will most likely have difficulty in driving and reading. There are two types of AMD

• Wet - there are bleeding and leaking of blood vessels because of abnormal growth beneath the macula. It can rapidly lead to central vision loss. One symptom is seeing straight lines that look wavy.
• Dry - the macula slowly starts thinning as time passes and becomes part of the process of aging. Dry AMD blurs central vision and is 70-90% more common than wet AMD. Drusen -- deposits beneath the retina usually colored yellow or white -- is a common symptom that affects both eyes.

Cataract
The clouding of the eye lens, or cataract, is the number one cause of blindness all over the globe. It does not have any particular age limit, mainly because it can occur at birth. There are a variety of treatments for cataract, but common barriers such as lack of insurance, cost of treatment, and inadequate awareness can stop patients from getting the appropriate treatment. 

Diabetic Retinopathy
DR is a known complication of diabetes. In America, it is the most common cause of blindness in adults. The retina -- the tissue sensitive to light behind the eye for optimum vision -- starts to have developing damage to its blood vessels. DR affects both eyes and has four progressive stages, namely:

• Mild nonproliferative retinopathy - the occurrence of microaneurysms
• Moderate nonproliferative retinopathy - this means having retinal vessel blockage
• Severe nonproliferative retinopathy - more vessel blockage resulting in a deprived retina
• Proliferative retinopathy - the most developed stage
  
  

You can reduce the risks of DR by disease management. It includes efficient control of blood pressure, abnormalities of lipids, and blood sugar.

It is recommended to invest in insurance particular for your visual impairments to avoid having to spend on extra costs. Save your pocket money by getting insurance now.

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