Low Vision Eye Care and Exams

Medical/surgical treatments or conventional glasses can’t improve low vision. However, there are several ways to help individuals with low vision. MHS and VHA have tools and resources available to help you learn how to adjust. The best option is to get an eye exam right away if you’re experiencing signs of low vision.

Primary Eye Care and Low Vision

Routine comprehensive eye exams are key for all patients. But patients with vision loss can benefit from an advanced eye exam. An optometrist or ophthalmologist who specializes in low vision care can do these exams.

Both primary care and eye care specialists can help. They can identify, refer, and guide patients to medical professionals trained to support their low vision needs. Eye care providers who specialize in low vision educate individuals with vision loss about their condition. Low vision eye care providers help patients adapt when conventional glasses or surgery will not improve their vision.

What is a Low Vision Exam?

Both routine and low vision exams look at the patient’s eye and medical history. A regular eye exam focuses on eye health and treating eye diseases. It includes basic refraction with glasses or contacts.

But a low vision exam is different. Low vision is reduced visual sharpness or visual field deficit. This condition won’t improve with glasses, contact lenses, or surgery.

Visual sharpness measures the eye’s ability to recognize an object’s shape and details at a given distance. Visual field deficit is when the eyes have difficulty seeing in a particular direction.

An optometrist or ophthalmologist can do a specialized low vision exam. This will help them see how vision challenges affect the patient’s daily life. Providers who specialize in low vision can prescribe tools to enhance remaining vision and help with everyday life.

Low Vision Services

Getting patient details, such as:

• Functional history (feeding, dressing, grooming, walking, bathing).
• Social history (smoking, alcohol use, marital status, job, pets, hobbies, and more).
• Screening for depression and behavior changes (related to loss of activity/independence due to vision loss).

Assessment of visual status, including:

• Visual acuity testing.
• Visual field testing.
• Resolve of a preferred retinal locus.
• Contrast sensitivity testing.
• Resolve of refractive status.

Educating the patient about:

• The nature of their eye disease.
• Why conventional glasses or surgery won’t improve their vision.
• Availability and benefits of low vision therapy/training.

Exploring low vision strategies, aids, and adaptations. These can include:

• Prescribing refractive lenses, contacts, optical devices, or adaptive devices.
• Making the right changes to the patient’s environment to improve eye function.
• Using interventions to improve eye functions (e.g., using visual field information to teach methods of eccentric viewing).

Referring the patient to vision rehabilitation professionals for training options. Training sessions may take place in the office, at home, or in the community.

What to Expect During a Low Vision Exam

An optometrist specializing in low vision care will ask for complete health and eye history. They focus on your visual difficulties and discuss how your impairment affects daily activities like:

• Using the computer
• Reading
• Traveling
• Recognizing faces
• Functioning in the kitchen
• Driving
• Working
• Watching TV
• Being involved in hobbies

They also screen for depression, which is more common with vision loss. During the exam, they will:

• Perform specialized refraction and examine each eye.
• Measure visual acuity using Low Vision test charts.
• Evaluate visual fields.
• Investigate glare, contrast sensitivity, and reading ability.
• Create a complete, individual plan based on your visual abilities and goals.

They look for signs that your vision impairment may be causing difficulties with routine activities. If you have vision concerns, you may need a low vision exam.