Peripheral Vision Loss

Peripheral vision can be described as everything you see on the side while looking
straight ahead and without turning your head sideways – and when this ability of
yours is diminished, it is referred as ‘tunnel vision’ or ‘peripheral vision loss’.

A damaged optic nerve, retina or the areas of the brain responsible for processing
visual input, individually or collectively, deteriorating the normal wide-angle of your
field of vision, can lead you to peripheral vision loss. And loss of peripheral vision in
all directions is what tunnel vision is all about.

Anyone can lose peripheral vision at any age, though the likelihood of elder people
getting affected by it is much higher because of the higher number of underlying
conditions linked to various eye problems capable of leading them to tunnel vision.

While tunnel vision affects most of the people permanently, there are also certain
situations where it affects people on temporary basis. Many people suffering from
migraine headaches, for instance, report suffering from tunnel vision temporarily.
Moreover, it can affect either one of your eyes or both.
Symptoms of Tunnel Vision / Peripheral Vision Loss
Inability or impairment of the side vision being the major symptom of tunnel vision,
there are a handful of other symptoms indicating its presence in your eye(s). Some of
them are:

 Seeing glare or halos around lights and other illuminated objects

 Unusual pupil size
 Increased or decreased sensitivity to light
 Impaired night vision
 Redness, soreness or swelling in one or both eyes

Sometimes, certain other symptoms including headaches, nausea and vomiting also
appear along with loss of peripheral vision.

Testing Peripheral Vision

To rule out the presence of tunnel vision in a person, comprehensive peripheral vision
test is required under the supervision of an eye doctor, who can use different
approaches to determine the extent of peripheral vision loss. Three most commonly
used approaches to do so include:

Automated Perimetry: This involves you sitting in front of a dome, staring at an

object in its center. Then you need to press a button whenever you see small flashes of
light with your vision focused on that object and your head remaining still.

Confrontation Visual Field: In this approach, you sit in front of a doctor. With one
eye covered at a time and staring straight ahead, you have to respond to the doctor
when you see their hand moving before you.

Tangent Screen or Goldman Field: This particular test requires you sitting about 3
feet apart from a screen with a target in its middle. You need to focus on the described
target and let the doctor know whenever you notice a moving object within your
peripheral view.

For these tests, no special preparations are needed, nor are there any particular side
effects associated with them. Poor results of these tests simply mean that additional
tests need to be taken to determine the presence of a probable eye disease (glaucoma,
for example) potentially responsible for tunnel vision.
Causes of Peripheral Vision Loss
A number of underlying conditions can be held responsible for peripheral vision loss,
some of them just affecting the eyes, while others also affecting the brain or certain
other body parts.

Moreover, some lifestyle choices can also contribute to different types of vision
problems. The list given below highlights some of the potential causes of tunnel
vision.

Glaucoma: Known as one of the leading causes behind peripheral vision loss,
glaucoma is caused due to increased pressure building up inside the retina. This
ultimately damages the optic nerve, resulting in inflicting a person with tunnel vision.

Retinitis Pigmentosa: A disease that progressively damages the cells in the retina,
which serve the function of picking up and transmitting all visual information to the
brain.

Cataracts: This is the result of clumping together of protein that makes up eye lens,
creating a cloudy area within the lens.

Ocular Migraine: These are often painless, unlike the headaches caused by typical
migraines, but can potentially lead to peripheral vision loss.

Retinal Detachment: Tunnel vision can also occur as a result of retinal detachment,
the phenomenon of peeling away of the layer of sensitive cells found at the back of
the retina.

Stroke: Stroke affects over half a million people across the U.S. every year, inflicting
various health issues including peripheral vision loss.

Choroidermia: A rare genetic condition known to lead a person to a gradual vision

loss, which begins with slow dimming of peripheral vision until it disappears
completely.

Intoxication: Excessive alcohol consumption can also lead to peripheral vision loss.