Vision hazard You may have any or all of these symptoms as your PVD progresses. You may be acutely aware of them or unconcerned about them. Your symptoms may last a few weeks, but they commonly last six months. After that, you can usually expect to regain most of your vision. The only way to know for sure if you have PVD is an ophthalmologist diagnosis. The disease can be detected by simple eye tests if it has not yet caused any serious problems. Your doctor will be able to tell whether you are blind in one eye or both eyes. He or she will also be able to estimate how much vision you might lose in the other eye if PVD isn't treated. PVD is rarely fatal but it can cause serious problems with your ability to drive a car or work around dangerous machines. If you don't treat PVD, you risk losing more and more vision in your affected eye. This could lead to inability to see anything without glasses or a contact lens. If you have PVD, wear protective eyewear when working with tools or around machinery. This includes safety glasses or goggles. Wear sunglasses whenever you go outside under the sun's rays. Avoid staring at lights; this can strain your eyes over time. Get regular checkups with your eye doctor.