Davenport Vision Source

02/19/2026

02/03/2026

What is low vision?
Low vision is a term commonly used to mean partial sight, or sight that isn’t fully correctable with glasses, contact lenses, surgery, or medications. This condition is beyond the typical loss of vision that occurs with aging, and in fact, it can impact people of all ages.

Low vision is often caused by these conditions:

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is a progressive eye condition. The disease affects the macula (central area of the retina) of the eye, where our sharpest central vision occurs. It leaves only dim images or black holes at the center of a person’s vision, leaving the individual with only the outermost, peripheral vision.
Glaucoma. Glaucoma is a group of conditions that causes damage to the major nerve of the eye called the optic nerve, part of the central nervous system that carries visual information from the eye to the brain. Pressure builds up inside the eye due to an imbalance of the fluid produced in the eye and the amount of fluid drained. Elevated pressure causes optic nerves fibers to die, leading to vision loss.
Cataract. Cataract is a disease that causes blurred vision. This happens when the eye’s lens becomes increasingly opaque, creating pinpoint vision and a feeling of continual fog. Common causes of cataract include aging, diabetes, injury, and cortisone medication.
Diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. The blood vessels can swell, close or leak fluid inside the eye, stopping blood from passing through normally. If the retina doesn’t receive the blood it needs to function properly, vision is affected.
The most common causes of low vision in the United States are age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. Worldwide, cataract, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy, are four of the five primary causes of vision loss, affecting 120 million people. And there are millions more people living with condition that need routine eye care services to prevent or delay vision loss.