Optical aids
The most widely used optical aids are eyeglasses (spectacles), and the technical design of eyeglass lenses has advanced considerably. A simple biconcave or biconvex lens causes considerable vision distortion if objects are viewed through the periphery of the lens, but, if the back surface of the lens is made concave and the required power is attained by altering the curvature of the front surface, improvement in peripheral vision results. Modern eyeglass lenses are of this form.
Most older people require an additional lens for reading, which can be incorporated with the distance correction in the form of a bifocal lens. In some occupations an intermediate distance is also required, and a third segment can be added, forming a trifocal lens. The complete range of correction from distance to near can be achieved by means of a progressive lens, in which lens power increases as the eye moves downward, with the upper segment of the lens providing the correction for distance and the lowest segment of the lens representing the reading correction. By slightly tilting the head, it is possible to find the optimum correction for intermediate distances.
The distortion of peripheral view when using conventional eyeglasses occurs because the correcting lens does not move when the eye moves. This problem can be completely overcome by the use of contact lenses, which fit the anterior surface of the cornea and thus move with the eye. The earliest types were larger than the cornea and were uncomfortable to wear, but the development of smaller “hard” lenses greatly increased the scope and usefulness of contact lenses. Even so, the length of time for which they could be worn was limited until rigid gas (oxygen)-permeable lenses were introduced, which allow oxygen to pass through to the cornea much more effectively. Flexible “soft” lenses, made of water-absorbing plastic gel, also allow oxygen to reach the surface of the cornea reasonably well. The type of contact lens that best suits an individual is dependent upon the refraction and any coexisting corneal problems.
For those persons who cannot obtain useful vision with ordinary eyeglasses or contact lenses, much can still be done through the use of special lens systems known as low-vision aids. These devices provide a magnified image but reduce the visual field. Their main value is to enable a person to read normal print that would otherwise be difficult to read. They can be of use for distance, particularly when viewing conditions are relatively static, as with the cinema, theatre, or television. Large-print materials, video magnifiers, closed-circuit television, and optimal lighting and contrast conditions are also of great benefit. For those with profound or complete vision loss, enhancement of other skills that help substitute for vision is crucial to optimizing function.
Blindness
Vision loss exists in a continuous spectrum from near-normal vision to total blindness. The definition of legal blindness can vary considerably and is a designation usually used to qualify individuals for government aid. Total blindness refers to a person who cannot perceive light whatsoever.
There is wide variation in the causes of blindness in different parts of the world. This is partly due to geographic and climatic conditions, but, more important, it is also due to differences in standards of hygiene and the availability of medical care. Infections, particularly trachoma, spread most easily in warm countries where the population is often crowded into small villages lacking in adequate hygienic facilities. Cataract is still high on the list of causes of blindness in many countries, even though it is curable by surgical means. As the standards of general medical care increase and life expectancy increases, the pattern of blindness changes and degenerative conditions, diabetic disorders of the retina, and genetically determined diseases become more prevalent. Advances in the prevention and the medical and surgical treatment of blindness can be of benefit only to a population that has access to medical care. Until the nutritional and hygienic standards of a large part of the world’s population are improved, preventable blindness will remain a problem. Fortunately, charitable efforts exist to bring modern eye care to disadvantaged areas of the world.
Edward S. Perkins Daniel M. Albert David M. Gamm