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8 Causes of Peripheral Vision Loss

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. 

8 Causes of Peripheral Vision Loss

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: 

  1. Poor night vision
  2. Blind spots
  3. Eye pain
  4. Headaches 
  5. Nausea
  6. Increased or decreased light sensitivity
  7. Change in the size of the pupils 
  8. 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:

  1. 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. 
  2. 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. 
  3. 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.
  4. 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. 
  5. Optic Nerve Atrophy: When the optic nerve is damaged it can affect your central vision, peripheral vision, and color vision. 
  6. 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. 
  7. 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. 
  8. 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. 

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Difference Between Cataracts and Glaucoma

Difference between cataracts and glaucoma

Cataracts and Glaucoma are two of the most serious eye complications. Both the degenerative eye diseases occur as the natural part of the aging process and cause vision impairment. However, the eye diseases have stark differences in between them.

Let’s uncover the key differences between these two serious eye complications to get a clear picture: 

1) Symptoms: While symptoms including eye pain and vision blurriness are common in both eye complications, the other symptoms that are different:

Cataracts:

  • Double vision in the single eye
  • Yellowing of colours
  • Clouded vision
  • Appearance of cloudy formation on eyes’ lens area
  • Lowered vision in dimly lit areas

Glaucoma:

  • Seeing coloured rings around lights
  • Sudden disturbances in vision
  • Eye redness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting

Book an eye test online:

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, make sure to seek medical advice. We, at Disha Eye Hospital, have a team of some of the best eye specialists in Kolkata. Book an appointment online at http://www.dishaeye.org/appointment and get a proper diagnosis of your eye health.

2) Causes:- 

The way Cataracts and Glaucoma cause vision loss are completely different from each other, and so are the factors that cause them.

Cataracts: The eye complication occurs when the eye lenses become stiffer, start breaking down, and form clumps as you age. As the eye disease progresses, the clumps become denser and start clouding the lens. This, in turn, obstructs light to completely pass through and reach the retina which results in blurred vision. Cataracts can either develop in one eye or both eyes. In cases where cataracts form in both eyes, the clouding of the lens is not even.

Glaucoma: Glaucoma occurs when the intraocular pressure (IOP) increases above normal levels and damages the optic nerve. The IOP increases when the fluid (aqueous humour) in the front of the eye builds up when it is not drained as properly as it should.

As the IOP increases with time, more damage is done to the optic nerve, which, in turn, leads to gradual vision impairment.

3) Vision loss restoration:-
As discussed above, both the eye diseases cause vision loss. However, vision loss can be restored and reversed only in Cataracts and not in Glaucoma.

Cataract: Cataract surgery, the go-to treatment option for cataracts, involves replacing the clouded lens with an artificial lens. Before the surgery, the doctor takes into account the refractive error of the patient to choose an artificial lens accordingly to correct the vision.

Glaucoma: The goal of treatment options for Glaucoma, including eye drops and surgery, is to reduce and stop vision loss from worsening by lowering IOP. Depending on the severity of your Glaucoma, the eye doctor may start treatment by prescribing eye drops or schedule a surgery.

4) Prevention

Both Cataracts and Glaucoma cannot be entirely prevented. However, you can take certain steps to lower the risks. Some of these include:

  • A healthy and balanced diet:

    Eating healthily is key to maintaining good eye health and lowering the risk of complications. Add green vegetables, colourful fruits, fresh eggs, and lean fish and meat to your diet to make sure you get proper nutrition intake.

  • Regular exercise: 

Exercising regularly helps improve blood circulation in the eyes. Another key benefit of regular exercise is it helps you maintain healthy body weight. Being overweight and obese increases the risk of diabetes which, in turn, can cause a vision-threatening eye disease known as Diabetic Retinopathy.

Consult best retina specialists in Kolkata

If you are suffering from diabetes, you are at an increased risk of Diabetic Retinopathy. Our team of some of the best retina specialists in Kolkata can guide you on taking important steps to lower the risk.