An interactive tool is using 360-degree images to show how iconic tourist spots look to those with eye conditions including cataracts, glaucoma and tunnel vision. Users can, for example, see ‘floaters’ over the Sydney Opera House, experience Times Square dimmed by night blindness and view Dubai with ‘Deuteranopia’. According to the developers at contact lens retailer Lenstore, the tool is intended to help people recognize the signs of vision loss that they should look out for. The World Health Organization has estimated that around one in seven people — that is, some 1 billion individuals — has either a near or distance visual impairment.
CATARACTS: Cataracts are a common condition in which the lenses of the eye become progressively opaque, leading to a blurring of the vision. They typically develop as one gets older, although they can also occur in babies and young children. Cataracts can be caused by excessive alcohol consumption, diabetes, smoking, radiation exposure, trauma and genetics. They can render simple tasks — such as, for example, driving — extremely difficult. Here, London’s Picadilly Circus for a normal person…
… And the blurred version a person with cataracts would see. It is estimated that in England and Wales some 2.5 million people aged 65 or older have some level of visual impairment resulting from cataracts.
DEUTERANOPIA: Deuteranopia is the most common from of color blindness, in which it is difficult to distinguish between the colors green and red. Experts believe color blindness, which is an inherited condition, affects around 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women across the world. The difference here stems from how the genes responsible for most forms of color blindness are on the X chromosome. Here, a lakeside in Dubai for someone with deuteranopia….
…. And what the same lake looks like for someone with normal vision. While the problems caused by color blindness are often minor, those with the condition are typically prohibited from certain jobs, including those of aircraft pilots, train drivers and crane operators.
EYE FLOATERS: Eye floaters may be a more familiar experience — many people experience them temporarily at some point or another. They appear as dark or grey specks that drift around as you shift your focus or try to look at them directly. Pictured, Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong to someone with eye floaters…
… And what the scene looks like to someone with normal vision. While eye floaters are common, they can also represent a sign of another condition — and those experiencing them over prolonged periods of time, with sudden onset, or in increasing severity are recommended to consult a doctor or optometrist.
GLAUCOMA: Glaucoma is the name given to a group of eye diseases which cause damage to the optical nerve and vision loss — starting with the periphery but then affecting central vision and ultimately leading to blindness if not treated. The condition is usually caused by the build up of fluid in the eye, increasing its pressure. If caught early enough, it can be treated with medication, surgery or laser-based treatment. Here, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris to someone with glaucoma…
And how the same landmark looks to someone with normal vision. The risk of glaucoma rises with age, increase pressuring in the eye, the use of steroid medications and also a family history of the condition. It is estimated that some 70 million people globally have glaucoma.
MACULAR DEGENERATION: Macular degeneration is an aging-related condition in which one experiences increasingly blurred sight, or vision loss, in the center of the visual field. It is caused by damage to the macular lutea, an oval-shaped pigmented area near the center of the eye’s retina. Here, a view of the Sydney Opera House is obscured by macular degeneration…
And the same scene for someone with normal vision. The onset of macular degeneration can also be accelerated by smoking and certain genetic factors. While it can be prevented by exercise, eating well and not smoking, there is no cure or treatment for vision that is already lost as a result of the condition.
NIGHT BLINDNESS: Night blindness, or ‘nyctalopia’, occurs, as the name suggests, when your eyes are unable to adapt to low-light conditions. While individuals with nyctalopia typically experience no consequences of such during the day, this vision impairment can make driving at night — or even popping to the toilet — considerable more challenging. Here, New York City’s Times Square is totally obscured by night blindness…
And the same scene for someone with normal vision. While it can occur as a symptom of a number of different eye diseases, the most common cause of night blindness is a genetic disorder called ‘retinitis pigmentosa’ in which rod cells in the retina lose their ability to respond to light. Nyctalopia can also result from injury or malnutrition — such as, for example, a diet that is deficient in vitamin A.
TUNNEL VISION: Individuals with tunnel vision experience a deterioration of complete loss in their peripheral vision — with the end result that they can often only see things as if through a small circle before their eyes. Tunnel vision can arise as a result of damage to the retina and optic nerve — both of which are signs of glaucoma (see above) and also damage to the brain. Here, Venice for somoene with tunnel vision…
And the same Venetian scene for someone with normal eyesight. Tunnel vision can also emerge temporarily as a result of the body producing high levels of the body’s ‘flight-or-fight’ hormone adrenaline, such as would occur under extreme levels of anger, panic or stress. To see more of this interactive tool, visit the Lenstore website.
Source: Sound Health and Lasting Wealth
