Eye conditions often develop as people age. They can range from the need for the need for heavy prescriptions to glaucoma and cataracts. While none of these are fun to deal with, they also pose a threat to your ability to operate a vehicle. Here are a few common eye conditions that affect driving.
Glaucoma
This disease targets your optic nerve, leading to vision loss. People with glaucoma experience blind spots in their peripheral or central vision that slowly become worse. There are no warning signs or obvious symptoms of this disease, making it difficult to detect until blind spots appear.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetes can affect various parts of your body, including your eyes. In diabetic retinopathy, high levels of blood sugar begin to damage the blood vessels in your retina. This begins to degrade your central and peripheral vision and could lead to permanent blindless.
Cataracts
This disease is progressive in nature, starting with slightly blurry vision. The lens of your eye or eyes begins to cloud, leading to a glares and halos around light sources. As things progressive, people will notice difficulty seeing at night as well as in poor weather conditions. The ability to see colors may also diminish.
Macular Degeneration
In macular degeneration, your retina becomes damages. Particularly, a part known as the macula slowly begins to degenerate. The damage done during this process affects your central vision, causing you to eventually lose it altogether.
How to Spot Red Flags
None of these conditions are easily identifiable by the average person until they begin fully affecting the ability to see. There are times when a doctor can tell you that any of these diseases may be prevalent, especially if you’ve suffered a personal injury or have a family history of the disease.
Primarily, you’ll have to rely on your vision to let you know when red flags are present. Any of the following can help you identify a possible issue that might affect your ability to drive:
- Decrease in clear vision or blurry vision
- Glare or halos from oncoming headlights
- Dark spots in any field of your vision
- Trouble reading road signs
- Difficulty spotting pedestrians
- An increased inability to see at night
When to See a Doctor
If any of the above red flags come into play at any time, it’s vital that you make an appointment with your primary care physician. You should also make an appointment if you suffer any injury to the head. While your ability to drive may be altered, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
If you have suffered an injury that leads to eye damage, it’s vital that you seek legal representation like this Mission Viejo Personal Injury Attorney. You might no longer be able to drive, but that doesn’t mean you can’t seek the compensation you deserve.
Regardless of how it happens, it’s up to you to ensure your safety as well as everyone else’s on the road. Never try to convince yourself you’re okay to drive if your vision isn’t up to par. It’s a dangerous scenario that could cause unintended accidents or even fatalities.