Peripheral vision loss is the loss of side vision. Peripheral vision helps you see the surrounding objects without turning your head or moving your eyes. It also helps you sense motion and lets you carry various activities such as running, walking, and driving without crashing into anything. To understand more about peripheral vision, let us first give you a brief insight on the retina.
2 types of cells in the retina
There are 2 types of light-sensitive cells in the retina: rods and cones. The cones help us see colour and are concentrated in a small central area of the retina called the macula. Rods are responsible for peripheral and night vision. Loss of peripheral vision or tunnel vision typically results from eye conditions that inhibit the normal functioning of the rods.
Symptoms of peripheral vision loss – when to see an eye specialist?
When people suffer from moderate to severe peripheral vision loss, they feel as if they are looking down a narrow tube. Some of the other symptoms of peripheral vision loss include:
- Poor night vision
- Blind spots
- Eye pain
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Increased or decreased light sensitivity
- Change in the size of the pupils
- Seeing glare around lights
If you are noticing any of these symptoms, book an appointment with an eye doctor in Kolkata.
What causes peripheral vision loss?
Loss of peripheral vision may be the result of:
- Glaucoma: It is one of the most common causes of peripheral vision loss. Glaucoma causes elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Extremely high IOP results in optic nerve damage, which leads to a loss of side vision. People suffering from diabetes are at an increased risk of suffering from Glaucoma. Hence, it is important for Diabetics to visit their eye doctors regularly. If you are a diabetic and searching for the best eye doctor in Kolkata, check our list of eye doctors – they are some of the best names in Kolkata. From reputed eye surgeons to the best retina specialist doctors in Kolkata, we have some of the leading names in our team.
- Eye Stroke or Retinal Artery Occlusion: Eye strokes are caused by clots or narrowing of your retina’s blood vessels. When the blood flow to the retina is interrupted, it can result in various vision problems, including peripheral vision loss and even total vision loss.
- Retinitis pigmentosa: It refers to a group of rare eye conditions caused by genetic mutations. These conditions are inherited genetically and affect the retina, resulting in night blindness, tunnel vision, and other vision problems.
- Cataracts: It is a buildup of proteins in the lens, forming protein clumps. In many cases, cataract starts damaging the lens from the edges leading to peripheral vision loss.
- Optic Nerve Atrophy: When the optic nerve is damaged it can affect your central vision, peripheral vision, and color vision.
- Retinal Detachment: It is a painless yet serious condition that occurs when the retina separates from the back of your eye. It can be caused by tears or holes in the retina, an inflammatory disorder, Coats’ disease, or the contraction of scar tissue on the retina’s surface. Over time a detached retina can cause loss of peripheral vision.
- Ocular Migraine: They happen when the blood flow to the eye is restricted. Someone who is suffering from ocular migraines can experience peripheral vision loss and other visual disturbances for a short period of time.
- Papilledema: Swelling of the optic disc, called papilledema, can lead to vision problems including loss of side vision.
How to test peripheral vision?
Your eye doctor will perform a visual field test to check how much you can see out of the corners of your eyes. This is a simple, painless, and non-invasive procedure.