HOW DOES YOUR CONDITION IMPACT YOUR VISION?
UNDERSTANDING VISUAL ACUITY
Visual acuity is the sharpness of vision and is measured by the ability to read letters on an eye chart.
20/20 vision means you can see the same at 20 feet that a person with ideal vision sees at 20 feet.
DECREASED VISUAL ACUITY MAY AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO:
- Recognize faces
-
Obtain a driver license
(20/40 vision is the
minimum in 47 states)
- Have vision to dial a telephone
UNDERSTANDING VISUAL ACUITY
Visual acuity is the sharpness of vision and is measured by the ability to read letters on an eye chart.
20/20 vision means you can see the same at 20 feet that a person with ideal vision sees at 20 feet.
DECREASED VISUAL ACUITY MAY AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO:
- Recognize faces
-
Obtain a driver license (20/40 vision is the minimum in 47 states)
- Have vision to dial a telephone
DIABETIC MACULAR EDEMA (DME)
- Damage to the small blood vessels in the eye can lead to diabetic eye disease (retinopathy)
- Fluid leaking from these blood vessels may cause the central part of the retina (the macula) to swell. This is called DME
- Macular edema (swelling of the macula) is the most common cause of vision loss in people who have diabetic retinopathy
Photo of a retina with diabetic macular edema; the dark area shows edema and bleeding.
MACULAR EDEMA (SWELLING OF THE MACULA) FOLLOWING RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSION (RVO)
- Blood circulating through the retina leaves the eye by draining into the retinal vein
- A retinal vein occlusion is a blockage that prevents normal blood flow out of the eye
- A blockage may affect the main vein leaving the eye (central retinal vein occlusion [CRVO]) or one of the smaller, branch veins that lead to the main vein (branch retinal vein occlusion [BRVO])
- RVO is more common once people reach middle age
BRVO
CRVO
These pictures show bleeding that may happen in the retina when a retinal vein becomes blocked in someone who has BRVO or CRVO.
NONINFECTIOUS UVEITIS
AFFECTING THE BACK SEGMENT
OF THE EYE
-
Uveitis (pronounced you-vee-eye-tis) is inflammation of the uvea, which is the middle layer of the eye
- Uveitis can also affect the retina and blood vessels of the eye
- Inflammation is caused by retinal cells, your immune system’s white blood cells, and the chemicals these cells release
- Noninfectious uveitis means that although the uvea is inflamed, no bacteria or viruses are found in the eye
- The cause of the inflammation with noninfectious uveitis is often unknown
