Did you know… there’re 285 million people in the world who are Legally Blind?
Over 75% of the world’s blindness is preventable. In the majority of cases, there are no symptoms and no pain whatsoever, and early detection could’ve prevent permanent loss of vision. That is why Dr. Lauretta Justin recommends annual eye exams for everyone.
An annual eye exam is a major step to preventing unnecessary loss of sight. Your exam with our doctors is quick and painless. In fact, 95% of our patients get good news.
What it means to be legally blind
The government uses the term “legal blindness” to decide who can get certain benefits, like disability or vocational rehabilitation.
There’s a difference between being totally blind and legally blind.
If you’re completely blind, you can’t see any light or form. Of the people with eye disorders, only about 15% can see nothing at all.
If you’re legally blind, you can still see — just not that clearly. Normal vision is 20/20. That means you can clearly see an object 20 feet away. If you’re legally blind, your vision is 20/200. That means if an object is 200 feet away, you have to stand 20 feet from it in order to see it clearly. But a person with normal vision can stand 200 feet away and see that object perfectly. Also, you’re consider legally bling blind if your peripheral vision is 20 degrees or worse.
Top 5 causes of blindness
According to the World Health Organization, here are the top 5 causes of blindness:
- Cataracts
- Macular Degeneration
- Glaucoma
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Rubella
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 11 million Americans aged 12 years and older could improve their vision through eye exam and proper refractive correction.
More than 3.3 million Americans aged 40 years and older are either legally blind (having best-corrected visual acuity of 6/60 or worse (=20/200) in the better-seeing eye) or are with low vision (having best-corrected visual acuity less than 6/12 (<20/40) in the better-seeing eye, excluding those who were categorized as being blind). A patient can also be considered legally blind if his/her peripheral (side) vision is reduced to 20 degrees or less in both eyes.
The leading causes of blindness and low vision in the United States are primarily age-related eye diseases such as cataract, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Other common eye disorders include amblyopia and strabismus.
Schedule your annual eye exam
Let’s make sure that your eyes are absolutely healthy!
Call us at (407) 292-9812 or request an appointment online now!
