Picture yourself driving down a busy highway. Your focus is sharp, and everything in front of you is clear, but suddenly, the areas to your left and right become dim, narrowing your view. This is what peripheral vision loss can feel like—Peripheral vision is crucial for tasks like driving, walking, or simply running through a crowded room. When this part of your vision becomes compromised, it can disrupt your life in unexpected ways.
Fortunately, understanding the causes of peripheral vision loss and the available treatment options can help you manage and, in some cases, improve your condition. In this blog, we will dive into what peripheral vision loss entails, explore its underlying causes, and discuss the various treatments that can help restore your visual field.
What is Peripheral Vision Loss?
Peripheral vision loss is also named as tunnel vision. In this condition, you can not see objects outside your central field of vision. You feel like you are looking in a tunnel, and parts of your side vision become faded or blurred. On average, a healthy eye has a range of 160 degrees around the central viewpoint but in case of peripheral vision loss, this range is only 90 degrees when you are looking straight.
Sometimes, the vision loss is temporary and easily reversed with proper treatments, but in severe cases, this blurred peripheral vision loss is permanent.
What Are the Symptoms of Peripheral Vision Loss?
Though symptoms of fuzzy peripheral vision loss vary depending on the underlying cause, here are some of the most common ones:
- It is difficult for you to navigate through crowded areas, especially when they are on a side.
- While driving, you can not detect vehicles on the side of the road, and it feels like you are bumping into objects.
- In some areas, you can not see anything; such points refer to blindspots.
- It is challenging to focus in low lighting conditions, which leads to poor night vision.
- Your sensitivity to light or glare increases.
- You suffer from unusual eye strain or discomfort, especially when adjusting your vision.
- Sometimes, you can experience visual hallucinations as a result of changes in brain visual processing.
What Are the Causes of Blurry Peripheral Vision?
Now that you are aware of peripheral vision loss and its symptoms, let’s explore why it happens. Some of the common causes of this condition are:
Retinal Detachment
Your retina detaches from the back of your eye because of different conditions. These can be any injury, diabetes, or age factor. When this happens, you will feel a sudden loss of peripheral vision. Moreover, you see floaters and spots over side parts of your vision.
Retinitis Pigmentosa
In this rare genetic condition, cells of the retina start to degenerate, leading to poor vision. At first, you will have difficulty with your night vision, which then progresses to vision loss during the day.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is one of the common eye conditions in which pressure in the eyes damages the optic nerve. It is one of the major reasons for peripheral vision loss and can result in permanent blindness.
Stroke
One major cause of vision loss is stroke, which affects different parts of the brain. The affected parts are responsible for processing visual information, and their damage results in blurred or lost vision.
Optic Nerve Atrophy
This is a condition in which some optic nerve cells begin to die. It can happen due to lack of oxygen, improper blood flow, trauma, glaucoma, or any other congenital disease. No matter what the reason is, such damage to the optic nerve results in peripheral vision loss.
Head Injuries
Any severe head injury can also cause loss of vision. Mostly, head blows result in a traumatic brain injury that badly affects your vision.
How To Treat Peripheral Vision Loss?
Treatment of peripheral vision loss depends on its cause. Let’s discuss some of the suggested treatments for different cases:
1. For Retinal Detachment:
For this kind of retinal damage, you have to undergo emergency surgical vision corrections for reattachment of the retina. This is how you can avoid permanent blindness.
2. For Retinal Pigmentosa:
In this condition, you need to gather information about how to manage hereditary conditions. Devices like magnifiers, contact lenses, and specialized glasses can work for you. Other than that, taking high doses of vitamin A can also slow down its progression.
3. For Glaucoma:
In the initial phases of glaucoma, you can use eye drops or oral medications to lower the pressure inside the eyes. For proper drainage of fluid, you can also go for laser therapy. However, surgery becomes necessary in severe cases to create a drainage pathway for fluid. Once you get control over this condition, you can prevent peripheral vision problems.
4. For Stroke
If stroke is the cause of your vision issues, you can improve it by rehabilitation therapy. It involves different physical and occupational activities that improve visual processing with time.
5. For Optic Nerve Atrophy:
In this case, you can take corticosteroids to reduce inflammation. Also, you can retain the remaining vision by using different visual aids, such as magnifiers and telescopic lenses.
6. For Head Injuries
If peripheral vision loss is caused by a head injury, your eye doctors will request an MRI or CT scan to assess the extent of damage and then suggest visual therapies accordingly.
Conclusion
Now that you know what peripheral vision is and how to treat its loss, you should not delay the treatment, no matter what the cause of blurry peripheral vision loss is. Immediate treatment always leads to good outcomes without causing any complications in your vision. By understanding the above-mentioned symptoms, causes, and treatments, you can easily overcome this challenge and improve your quality of life. To explore more treatment options and get personalized advice, we recommend contacting a reliable eye care center, such as Texan Eye Care, to preserve your vision.
FAQS
How do doctors diagnose peripheral vision loss?
They perform different diagnostic tests, including visual field tests, to measure the extent of your vision loss. They also conduct ophthalmoscopy to examine the retina and optic nerve and assess structural changes using different imaging tests.
Can peripheral vision loss affect my driving abilities?
Yes, if you have issues with peripheral vision, you should avoid driving. You can not notice vehicles or pedestrians passing approaching from the side. If it is very necessary, you can take a driving assessment beforehand.
