Bright Lights and Depth Perception

One day at work I received a call from a man with age related macular degeneration (AMD) who wanted to make an appointment with a low vision specialist. Two symptoms he complained about were loss of depth perception and eye pain when exposed to bright lights. While many people are not aware of these visual changes with AMD, these are not unusual symptoms of this retinal condition.

Glare Sensitivity

Most people associate only loss of central vision and blurred vision with AMD. But really there are many different visual changes related to the degeneration of the macula that affect one's ability to get around and to perform daily tasks.

Sensitivity to glare or experiencing discomfort around bright lights is not uncommon for those with macular degeneration. According to the Macular Foundation, "The scars in the eyes act as a mirror reflecting light internally within the eye. This causes light sensitivity and glare as well as haziness in the vision."

Loss of Depth Perception

Because depth perception requires two eyes with healthy vision, loss of depth perception is often another sign of AMD. So even if one has a "good" eye, but the other eye has low vision, depth perception is affected.

Richard L. Windsor, O.D., F.A.A.O. writes, "Patients are diagnosed daily with macular degeneration but few patients are adequately counseled on how their vision will be affected. Vision loss from macular degeneration is much more than just a loss of visual acuity. It is important that we counsel these patients on the variety of visual problems they will encounter."

Find out about other common vision losses and changes associated with AMD here: ...

Age Related Macular Degeneration Symptoms and Vision Changes

Leslie Degner, RN, BSN

Better Health for Better Vision

WebRN-MacularDegeneration.com

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