1/8/2023 0 Comments Legally blind visionLess commonly, legal blindness can be caused by: Glaucoma – Damage to the retina caused by high fluid pressure inside the eye Though some people become legally blind after an accident, several eye-related conditions can also cause legal blindness and other levels of impaired vision.įour leading causes of legal blindness in the United States are:Īge-related macular degeneration – A small portion of the retina ( macula) deteriorates over time and gradually leads to central vision lossĬataracts – Cloudy deposits on the eyes’ natural lenses that limit how much light can pass through themĭiabetic retinopathy – Damage to the retina caused by diabetes, particularly in cases where diabetes is poorly managed SEE RELATED: The growing epidemic of high myopia Causes of legal blindness How many people are legally blind?Ībout 1 million Americans were legally blind in 2015, according to an estimate from the National Eye Institute.ģ.2 million Americans had low vision, often defined as 20/40 vision or worse, with correction.Ĩ.2 million had some form of uncorrected vision problems.Īs the nation’s population ages, the number of legally blind Americans is expected to double by the year 2050. Most people who are legally blind can still see light, but the objects in their vision are very blurry. Legal blindness is different from total blindness, which describes the complete loss of all visual light perception. When someone is legally blind due to visual acuity, it means that the sharpness of their vision can’t be improved beyond 20/200, even with the help of their prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses. It’s one of several factors that determine the vision prescription you get from an eye doctor. Visual acuity is the medical term for the sharpness of your eyesight. Someone is legally blind if their better eye - while wearing any glasses or contacts - has a visual acuity of 20/200 or less or a field of vision of less than 20 degrees. In the United States, legal blindness is based on measurements of central visual acuity (what’s directly in front of you) and field of vision (what’s above, below and to the sides).
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