Article by Gwen Jones, Department of Family Services

(Posted 2026 February)

Low vision is a condition that makes it hard to see and can affect your daily life in big ways. It is caused by different eye conditions and often has few treatments. Low vision is more common in older adults, so it’s important to know what causes it and how to prevent it.

What Is Low Vision?

Low vision means your eyesight isn’t clear enough to do everyday activities like reading, driving, or seeing screens – even with glasses or contacts. Unlike being near-sighted or far-sighted, low vision often can’t be corrected with glasses, contacts, medicine, or surgery.

There are different types of low vision, depending on what’s causing it:

• Central vision loss: Trouble seeing things in the center of your vision.
• Peripheral vision loss: Trouble seeing out of the corners of your eyes.
• Night blindness: Trouble seeing in dim light or darkness.
• Blurry or hazy vision: Things don’t look sharp or clear.

What Causes Low Vision?

There are many things that cause low vision, including eye conditions and diseases, eye and brain injuries, or certain genetic disorders. It’s more common in older adults because the diseases that lead to low vision tend to happen as people age – but age itself doesn’t directly cause low vision.

Here are the main causes of low vision:

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

AMD is an eye condition that blurs your central vision. It happens when the macula, the part of your eye that helps you see details straight ahead, gets damaged with age. AMD gets worse over time and is one of the most common causes of vision loss in older adults.

People are more likely to get AMD if:

• Their family has a history of it.
• They are White.
• They smoke.

Doctors suggest quitting smoking, eating healthy foods (like leafy greens and fish), staying active, and keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol at healthy levels to lower your risk.

Your eye doctor can check for AMD during a dilated eye exam. There are two types: dry AMD (atrophic AMD) and wet AMD (advanced neovascular AMD.) Dry AMD happens in stages (early, middle, late), while wet AMD is more serious and always occurs at late stage.

Treatment depends on the type and stage of AMD:

• There’s no treatment for early dry AMD, but regular eye checkups are important.
• For middle-stage AMD, some dietary supplements may help slow it down.
• Late-stage dry AMD doesn’t have a treatment yet.
• Wet AMD can be treated with injections or laser treatments to stop the damage.

Cataracts

A cataract is when an area in the lens of your eye becomes cloudy. At first, you might not notice it, but over time it can make your vision blurry, colors look dull and eventually lead to vision loss. Cataracts are common as people get older – more than half of Americans aged 80 or older either have cataracts or had surgery to remove them.

People at higher risk for cataracts may:

• Have diabetes.
• Have experienced eye injury or eye surgery.
• Spend a lot of time in the sun.
• Take steroids or had radiation treatment on the upper body.
• Smoke or drink heavily.
• Have a family history of cataracts. 

To prevent cataracts, protect your eyes with sunglasses, wear safety glasses during risky activities (like using tools), eat healthy, and quit smoking.

Your eye doctor can check for cataracts during a dilated eye exam. The only way to get rid of a cataract is with surgery. During the procedure, the clouded lens is removed and replaced with a new, artificial lens. The surgery is safe and often successful – nine out of 10 people who get it see better afterwards.

Diabetic Retinopathy 

This eye condition can cause vision loss and blindness in people who have diabetes. People with all types of diabetes are at risk and are more likely to develop the condition the longer they’ve had the disease. More than half of people with diabetes develop diabetic retinopathy over time. 

The best way to lower your risk is by managing your diabetes, along with high blood pressure or cholesterol if you have them.

People with diabetes should get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. If you have diabetic retinopathy, your doctor will monitor the disease or treat it if it’s advanced. Treatments can’t undo damage already done, but they can stop your eyesight from getting worse. Treatment options include injections, laser treatments, or surgery.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve (the nerve in the back of your eye) and can lead to vision loss or blindness. The most common type in the U.S. is open-angle glaucoma, where vision loss starts slowly, usually with peripheral vision. Left untreated, it can lead to total blindness.

Angle-closure glaucoma is less common but more serious. It can cause sudden symptoms like severe eye pain, nausea, redness, and blurry vision. If you notice these symptoms, get medical care immediately.

An eye doctor can check for glaucoma during a dilated exam. You’re at higher risk if:

• You have a family history of glaucoma.
• You’re African American and over 40 years old.
• You’re Hispanic or Latino and over 60 years old.

There are no known ways to prevent glaucoma and its causes are unknown. Many people with the disease have high eye pressure so treatments that lower eye pressure, like prescription eye drops, laser treatments, or surgery, may slow down the disease. While treatment won’t reverse the damage to your vision, they can help stop further damage.

Tips for Living with Low Vision

• If you have low vision, small changes can help you see better, like:
• Using brighter lights at home or work.
• Wearing sunglasses that reduce glare.
• Using magnifying glasses for reading or close-up tasks.
• Increasing text size and contrast on your devices or using text-to-speech tools.

You can also ask your eye doctor about vision rehabilitation services. These programs help you live independently and may include job training, special tools or devices, counseling, and transportation help.

For more information, visit the National Eye Institute at nei.nih.gov.

This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).

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