Title: Vision Loss - Symptoms, Causes, Treatments
Headings: Vision Loss
Vision Loss
What is vision loss?
What other symptoms might occur with vision loss?
Eye symptoms that may occur along with vision loss
Other symptoms that may occur along with vision loss
Serious symptoms that might indicate a life-threatening condition
What causes vision loss?
Eye-related causes of vision loss
Other causes of vision loss
Serious or life-threatening causes of vision loss
Questions for diagnosing the cause of vision loss
What are the potential complications of vision loss?
About The Author
Healthgrades Editorial Staff
Last Updated: January 16, 2021

Content: Age-related macular degeneration (disorder that causes loss of vision in the macula, the area of the retina responsible for seeing detail in the central vision)
Cataracts (clouding or loss of transparency of the lens of the eye)
Corneal edema (swelling and clouding of the normally transparent cornea)
Eye infection or inflammation (endophthalmitis, keratitis, or uveitis)
Eye trauma
Eye tumors
Glaucoma (disorder that damages the optic nerve, often as a result of increased pressure in the eye)
Macular edema (fluid accumulating within retinal layers)
Presbyopia (hardening of the lens leading to decreased ability to focus the eye)
Refractive errors such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism (irregularly shaped cornea)
Retinal detachment (detachment of the light-sensing layer inside your eye from the blood vessels that provide it oxygen and nutrients)
Retinitis pigmentosa (hereditary degeneration of the retina)
Retinopathy of prematurity (abnormal development of blood vessels in the eye related to premature birth)
Vitreous traction (macular hole)
Other causes of vision loss
Vision loss can also be caused by certain medications and by conditions that affect the brain or other parts of the body including: Diabetes (chronic disease that affects your body’s ability to use sugar for energy)
Hypertension ( high blood pressure)
Inborn errors of metabolism
Malnutrition
Migraines
Multiple sclerosis (disease that affects the brain and spinal cord causing weakness, coordination, balance difficulties, and other problems)
Vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels)
Vitamin deficiency
Serious or life-threatening causes of vision loss
In some cases, vision loss may be a symptom of a serious or life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. These include: Brain tumor
Head injury
Increased intracranial pressure (high pressure inside the skull that is often due to brain swelling or hemorrhage)
Ocular or orbital trauma
Stroke
Transient ischemic attack (temporary stroke-like symptoms that may be a warning sign of an impending stroke)
Questions for diagnosing the cause of vision loss
To diagnose your condition, your doctor or licensed health care practitioner will ask you several questions related to your vision loss including: When did you first notice your vision loss? Can you describe your vision loss? Is your vision loss constant, or does it come and go? Was your vision loss accompanied by any other symptoms? Did anything unusual, such as an injury or illness, precede the symptoms? Have you ever experienced vision loss before?