Has a friend or loved one ever told you they can’t drive because they’re legally blind? While legally blind is a term commonly used, there’s still confusion about its meaning. It’s different than being completely blind or having a vision impairment, and in some cases, it can be preventable. Keep reading to learn more about what legal blindness is and how you, together with your eye doctor, can prevent this condition.

A Brief Guide to Legal Blindness

What does legally blind mean?

Unlike total blindness, someone who is legally blind has some vision but may have trouble seeing an object either far away or peripherally. The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) uses the term legally blind to determine who is eligible for government benefits, such as disability, work training, and tax exemptions. For safety reasons, someone who is legally blind is not able to hold a driver’s license. 

What causes legal blindness?

While many things can lead to legal blindness, it’s most commonly a result of age-related conditions. Some of these conditions include age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Additionally, genetics or eye trauma or injury, such as blunt force trauma, can also cause legal blindness.

How is it assessed and treated?

To determine if someone is legally blind, an eye doctor will measure how far someone can see, or their visual acuity, and the range of their peripheral vision, or their visual field, using a series of tests. Normal vision would have 20/20 acuity and a visual field of 180 degrees. A person who is legally blind would have either 20/200 vision in their strongest eye while wearing corrective lenses or a visual field of 20 degrees or less.

The treatment will depend on the cause of the legal blindness and how far along any diseases are. Most age-related diseases can’t be reversed, so medications and eye procedures are commonly prescribed to slow progression. The exception to this is cataracts. In many cases, cataract surgery can restore vision.

How is it prevented?

Taking care of your overall health will help prevent vision loss, and it's been found that 90% of diabetes-related vision loss is preventable. Eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables is not only important for eye health, but also helps to maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk of diabetes. Use safety glasses and goggles and sunglasses to protect your eyes from physical injury and harmful UV rays. Additionally, schedule regular visits to your eye doctor for comprehensive dilated exams to catch early signs of eye diseases so you can begin treatment quickly. 

When it’s time to update your prescription glasses, call the professionals at Pal Optical in Lexington, KY. This family-oriented, licensed optician has helped clients in central Kentucky since 1956. With frames from top designers and one of the biggest assortment of children’s frames in the area, they’ve got your whole family covered. Call (859) 266-3003 or reach out to them through their website.