Visual impairment may be mild or severe but in each case visual performance does not meet the individual's needs. Improving vision with visual aids is usually undertaken after your ophthalmologist has completed medical or surgical procedures or determined that such procedures are unwarranted. Though most often experienced by the elderly, people of all ages may be affected. Low vision can occur from birth defects, inherited diseases, injuries, diabetes, glaucoma, cataracts, and aging. The most common causes of low vision with aging are cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic retinopathy.
Cataracts cause mild yellowing or clouding of the lens.
Increased sensitivity to light may be experienced as well as difficulty seeing under dim light and poor visual acuity. Increased pressure causes glaucoma which affects side vision before central vision is damaged. Therefore, vision is frequently lost before realizing it is gone. The most common of these causes is macular degeneration, which is a deterioration of the retina, the light sensitive tissue in the back of the eye. Moderate to severe difficulty with near vision tasks is experienced as with reading, writing, time telling, card playing, etc.