Causes of Vision Loss
The leading causes of vision loss or blindness include:
- Glaucoma — a disease that causes gradual damage to the optic nerve, the nerve that carries visual information from the eye to the brain.
- Macular degeneration — a condition that affects the part of the retina responsible for sharp central vision and is a leading cause of permanent central vision loss in people over 65.
- Cataracts — a clouding of the eye’s naturally clear lens. This most likely results with advancing age.
- Diabetic retinopathy — a complication of diabetes where retinal blood vessels break down, leak or become blocked, impairing vision over time. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in working-aged adults, ages 20–74 years, in the U.S.
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