What Are the Most Frequent Diseases That Can Cause Vision Loss or Blindness?
Other eye diseases associated with aging can be serious threats to a person’s vision. Often, these are painless and gradual in onset. Only an eye care provider can properly diagnose them. These eye diseases include: • Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD). This disease causes damage to the part of the eye that is responsible for detail vision (the macula). While the person with ARMD always retains her side (peripheral) vision, the central blind spot caused by this disease can cause an inability to read, recognize faces, or do “close work.” • Cataracts. When the clear lens inside the eye becomes cloudy or develops opacities, it is called a cataract. Cataracts can greatly impair vision; however, they do not usually damage the eyes. Most cataracts can be successfully removed through surgery. • Diabetic Retinopathy. If a person has long-term diabetes, damage can occur to the retina (the nerve layer inside the eye). Vision loss may occur in varying degrees and total blindness may result.
