Is Myopia A Legally Blind Person?

Mild to severe myopia ranges in level. Myopia at age 8 can cause blurred vision, but in many countries, it is not classified as legally blind. In the United States, vision of 20/200 or better is considered legally blind if not corrected with glasses or contact lenses. However, after using corrective lenses, many myopic patients achieve vision of 20/20 or better.

Describe myopia.

In this case called myopia, distant objects appear blurry. This vision problem is caused by the inability of the cornea or lens to properly focus the light entering the eye. People who read a lot, play video games, or use computers a lot are often at high risk of developing myopia. Myopia usually first appears in childhood and can gradually worsen. It is considered one of the leading causes of vision impairment worldwide. Still, people who solve the problem with glasses or contact lenses can see better. The range of myopia is wide, from mild myopia to severe myopia. Prescribed glasses require less than three refractive powers to focus one object to be considered mild myopia. Although people with this degree of myopia may experience blurry images, they can control it well and live happy lives. Laser surgery such as LASIK and PRK can change the cornea of ​​adults with moderate myopia and increase the eye's focusing ability.

Minus 7: Eyesight: What?

Squinting to look at traffic signs or holding your phone up at the end of your arm to read an email can cause myopia. A person with minus-7 vision can only see a line on a Snellen chart 20 feet away, while a person with normal vision can see this line 6 times further away. Poor vision is caused by your poor refraction making distant objects appear blurry while nearby objects appear clear. It occurs when the size and shape of your eyes are not symmetrical and they are unable to focus light accurately on the retina. Vision below 7 is not ideal, but this doesn't always mean it's bad. Fortunately, corrective lenses such as contact lenses and glasses can restore clarity and sharpness of your surrounding environment! It just takes a little trial and error to find the perfect combination.

Myopia: Are you legally blind?

Your ability to correct your vision and your degree of myopia (minus 6) determine whether you are legally blind. In the United States and many other countries, distance visual acuity of 20/200 or better, i.e. the ability to see the Snellen line only from a distance of 20 feet, defines legal blindness. Although 8-degree myopia is a high level, it does not meet these criteria and does not make you legally blind. People with high degrees of myopia have a small advantage in that their eyeballs are generally shorter in length and may be less susceptible to eye diseases such as age-dependent macular degeneration. So even if your -8 myopia might make it hard to tell the difference between pandas and penguins at the zoo, don't stop you from discovering the small world. Remember, your optometrist is always available to offer help!

Do you see the negative seven with your eyes?

Even if your minus 7 myopia makes it hard to tell the difference between the pandas and penguins at your local zoo, this doesn't actually make you legally blind. To be considered legally blind, you need a 20 degree field of vision and a corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or better. You may find it hard to see the fine print on your cell phone at minus 7, but your vision exceeds that and you are adopted by an elite group of people with high myopia. Fortunately, through the right glasses and maintenance, many myopic patients can have good peripheral (side) vision and clear distance vision. Remember, it's best to get personalized advice from an eye care professional! Nice to meet you! (Or squint, if this is your style!) xo.