What are the symptoms of visual field loss?
Frequently walks or runs into objects
Has trouble scanning a page and finding the beginning or end of a line, thus experiences difficulty when reading
Difficulty finding objects or reaching for objects on desks and countertops, or in cabinets and closets.
Visual Field Loss explained:
The visual field is the full area of what a person can visually see surrounding them. Visual field loss occurs when an individual experiences damage to any part of visual pathway, which is the path that signals travel from the eye to the brain. There are many different causes of visual field loss, and the type of loss depends on what exact part of the pathway was damaged.
Partial or complete vision loss can also occur after a head trauma or stroke. The area of the brain that has been affected as well as the extent of the damage will determine your field of view. This may cause problems such as bumping into objects or sudden falls. Loss of vision in a part of the visual field can in some cases be permanent.
What can we do?
Treatment usually focuses on the condition causing the field loss. In some cases, this may improve over time. Where brain damage has occurred, the field loss is usually permanent, but it can be helped.
The degree of function that can be restored depends on the cause and severity of the damage.
Special glasses can be fitted for you with a prism in each lens. These prisms bend incoming light so that it reaches the non-damaged section of your visual field. Vision rehabilitation therapy can assist with scanning techniques, movement and reading strategies as well as lifestyle changes that maximize your usable field of view.