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blindness
Inability to see. May be of central or peripheral origin.
Legal blindness: better eye is 20/200 or less, or visual field deficit in both eyes
Also see visual impairment
Etiology:
- sudden visual loss:
a) retinal detachment
b) vitreous hemorrhage
c) occlusion of the central retinal artery
d) temporal arteritis
- progressive or permanent blindess
a) macular degeneration (most common cause in Caucasians)
b) glaucoma (most common cause in African Americans)
c) cataracts
d) diabetic retinopathy
Complications:
- depression
Management:
- sudden visual loss: refer to ophthalmologist
- progressive or permanent visual impairment
- address treatable causes with ophthalmologist
- refer to vision rehabilitation specialist as needed
- BrainPort V100, a device that can help blind people process images by using their tongues, FDA-approved June 2015
Specific
transient monocular blindness (TMB); amaurosis fugax
General
visual impairment
References
- Geriatric Review Syllabus, 7th edition
Parada JT et al (eds)
American Geriatrics Society, 2010
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 16
American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2012