Impaired vision, visual disorders

Overview

Impaired vision can have many different causes. Visual disorders can present as short-/far-sightedness, blurred vision, black spots in the vision, even blindness. A doctor should be consulted for persistent visual disorders.

Symptoms

• Bad distance vision or bad near vision
• Hazy, blurred or distorted vision
• Double vision
• Flashes of light or many black specks in the vision (“floaters”)
• Seeing a “dark shadow" that is gradually moving across your vision (“curtain”)
• Seeing black spots
• Blindness
  

Causes and treatment

Bad distance vision often already occurs at a young age (short-sightedness)

• Near vision worsens with advancing age (far-sightedness)
• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can cause blurred vision
• Cataracts cause cloudy vision and make colours look matte
• Flashes of light, floaters and a dark "curtain" or shadow moving across your vision are typical symptoms of retinal detachment
• Black spots occur with many diseases (e.g. cataracts, retinal infarction, multiple sclerosis and many others)
• A blow to the eye can cause various injuries and visual disorders

Many underlying diseases can also cause visual impairment, e.g. diabetes mellitus, migraine etc. (a complete list can't be provided here).

Further treatment by your doctor / in hospital

Pointed questions and specialised tests are applied to find the cause of the disorder and to start therapy, if necessary.

Possible tests

• Eye tests
• Examination by an eye doctor (intraocular pressure, slit lamp, etc.)
• Blood tests

Possible therapies

• Eye drops/ointment (with antibiotics, if necessary)
• Optical aids (glasses, etc.)
• Medication
• Operation
• Treatment of the underlying disease (diabetes mellitus, migraine, multiple sclerosis, etc.)
  

What can I do myself?

Regular visits to the doctor/eye doctor for eye examinations can help to identify eye disorders at an early stage. This applies in particular in the case of prior illnesses or past eye operations.

When to see a doctor?

• As a general rule, for every prolonged visual disorder (especially if it occurred suddenly)
• Persistent pain in or around the eye
• Simultaneous pain when chewing
• Persistent black spots in the vision or blindness
• Eye injuries after an accident