What is Low Vision?

Low vision is a common but devastating ailment that affects many Canadians. The condition can make everyday tasks very difficult. Simple day-to-day things like reading, driving, and recognizing faces can suddenly become a challenge.

Since low vision is often progressive, you need to be proactive with routine eye exams or risk further loss of sight. Simcoe Optometric Clinic can assist if you suffer from low vision. Visit our team of optometrists and let us make the most of the vision you still have.

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Links to Low Vision

At a practical level, low vision means that everyday tasks are hard to do because you can’t see very well. Low vision is a condition that cannot be corrected by medical or surgical treatments, or conventional eyewear.

Low vision is typically a consequence of other diseases. Most commonly, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, eye cancer, glaucoma, and diabetes result in low vision. Many of these diseases are prone to developing as you age, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will suffer from low vision.

Low Vision Diagnosis

Low Vision is usually diagnosed during comprehensive eye examinations. If you do have any eye diseases, such as diabetes, regular eye exams are essential. Simcoe Optometric Clinic offers Diabetic Eye Exams, where we focus on the problems in your visual system that arise from this disease. Stay active with ocular health to reduce risking one of your most important senses.

What Do All the Numbers Mean?

A person with normal visual acuity is often described as having “20/20 vision”. This means that what is supposed to be seen at 20 feet away by the human eye, can be seen at 20 feet away. Visually impaired people have different degrees of visual acuity. If you’re visually impaired, you must keep up with your eye health with frequent eye exams.

Mild Low Vision

Also called near-normal vision, this entails the range from 20/30 to 20/60 visual acuity score. For instance, somebody with 20/30 visual acuity needs to stand at 20 feet to clearly see something that they should see at 30 feet.

Moderate Low Vision

Moderate low vision starts at 20/70 and goes up to 20/160. A person with 20/70 visual impairment has to stand at 20 feet to see an object they should be able to see with clarity at 70 feet.

Severe Low Vision

Severe low vision includes acuity scores between 20/200 and 20/400. This score expresses that if you have 20/200 vision, you need to stand at 20 feet to see something that should be visible at 200 feet. The same logic applies to 20/400.

Profound Low Vision

Profound low vision, or profound visual impairment, ranges from 20/500 to 20/1000. You need to be 20 feet close to see something you should be able to see at 500 feet. At this degree of impairment, routine visual tasks become almost impossible to do without assistance. Anything after 20/1000 is considered near-total blindness.

Managing Life With Low Vision

Even though there’s no cure for low vision, Simcoe Optometric offers tools and strategies to help you with day-to-day life. Come see us for a comprehensive eye exam, where we’ll determine your ocular health and decide on the best course of action.

If you are suffering from this condition, we want to help you in the most comfortable way possible. Your quality of life doesn’t need to plummet because of low vision. Our eye doctors are here to guide you the whole way through. Book an appointment and learn how we can help!

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Our Location

You can find our practice in the Malo Professional Building on Colborne Street North. We offer plenty of parking behind our building with accessibility-friendly options available.