February 23, 2021
The month of February is important to Clovernook Center, as we use this month to bring awareness to low vision. Low vision impacts many people around the world, young and old. The National Eye Institute (NEI) defines low vision as “a vision problem that makes it hard to do everyday activities. It can’t be fixed with glasses, contact lenses, or other standard treatments like medicine or surgery.” If you can’t see well while reading or driving, or have trouble recognizing people’s faces or telling colors apart, you may have low vision.
A few types of low vision are:
- Central vision loss (not being able to see things in the center of your vision)
- Peripheral vision loss (not being able to see things out of the corners of your eyes)
- Night blindness (not being able to see in low light)
- Blurry or hazy vision
Check out this link from NEI to experience what it is like to see with these types of low vision.
Many things can cause low vision, like cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Unfortunately, low vision is normally permanent and there is no real cure for it. Things like glasses, medicine and surgeries can help you in your day to day activities, but don’t reverse the damage.
Although low vision is serious, there are many ways to help to prevent vision loss. Preventative eye care, like wearing sunglasses, protective eyewear, and resting your eyes during the work day, can help to prevent low vision. Your overall health impacts your vision too. Staying active, eating healthy and quitting smoking can help lower risks for many diseases, including eye and vision problems.
Each year, Clovernook Center’s Pediatric Low Vision Clinic (in partnership with the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Ophthalmology Department) helps more than 180 children ages 2-21 who have vision loss or blindness. By offering more extensive testing for color, lighting, and contrast perception, children can receive a more detailed prognosis than standard vision screenings. Most visitors and families leave with a sense of relief and hope, having answers and tools their children need in order to live a life that many of us take for granted.
Learn more about Clovernook Center’s Pediatric Low Vision Clinic by visiting clovernook.org/youth-services/low-vision-clinic/.
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