Macular Degeneration affects the central portion of vision but not the side vision. It is difficult to see faces and print may be distorted or have missing segments of words.
Glaucoma is caused by elevated eye pressure which causes optic nerve atrophy. It is usually detected by pressure checks and routine eye examinations. In advanced cases, images may appear faded and side vision may be lost. Print appears to lack contrast.
Cataracts develop when protein builds up in the lens of your eye and makes it cloudy. This keeps light from passing through clearly. It can cause you to lose some of your eyesight. There are different types of cataracts. They include:
- Age-related. These form as you get older.
- Congenital. This is what doctors call it when babies are born with cataracts. They may be caused by infection, injury, or poor development in the womb. Or, they can form in childhood.
- Secondary. These happen as a result of other medical conditions, like diabetes. They can also result from being around toxic substances, ultraviolet light, or radiation, or from taking medicines such as corticosteroids or diuretics.
- Traumatic. These form after an injury to the eye
Diabetic Retinopathy is caused by retinal changes in advanced or long term diabetes. It may affect the macula or the entire retina and vitreous. Reading is variable, and print may be distorted or blurred. Many diabetics also develop cataracts resulting in hazy and distorted vision.
Retinitis Pigmentosa is a heredity disease causing degeneration of the pigmented layer of the retina. It leads to severe loss of peripheral vision causing problems with travel. Reading area is reduced although some letters in the center may be clear.