My friend said she was afraid her eyesight would get worse and worse until she went blind -- is this possible?

Question

I told her I didn't think it was possible, or at least that it was very unlikely, but is it?

Her presription got stronger recently and she's kind of worried.

Is it possible for your eyesight to get worse and worse until you go blind? Please help.

Thanks. :)

Answer 1

Retinitis pigmentosa can lead to blindness. Does she wear glasses? Is she near-sighted or far-sighted? If so, then I don't think she will become blind. (I'm near-sighted and wear glasses.)

Answer 2

Simply because her prescription is getting stronger, doesn't mean she is 'going blind'- it just means she needs stronger glasses, and may need even stronger ones as time goes on. Unless she develops some sort of eye disease 100% unrelated to the refractive error, no, she cannot go blind.

Some people with extreme refractive errors are at a greater risk of experiencing a retinal detachment in life. Retinal detachments are very much easily treatable, and not uncommon for those with high prescriptions- she may have about a 1/20 chance of experiencing one in life. If she experiences 'the signs' she should get an emergency appointment with an ophthalmologist OR go to a hospital as soon as possible.

-Flashes of light

-A drastic increase in floaters in the eye

-A mild heavy feeling in the eye

Later:

-A shadow creeping over vision

-Straight lines seeming curved, bent, or bulging

Basically, any drastic decrease in vision not following the normal gradual trend of her own refractive error should be treated seriously, but in absence of that, there's nothing to have a heart attack about.

Answer 3

Sure it is. There are quite a few conditions that get worse and worse until there is total blindness - cataracts, glaucoma, detached retinas, optic degeneration, and so on. Many of these conditions can be treated or cured, so blindness is not the inevitable result. Diabetics and people with high blood pressure are especially prone to going blind later in life, but if she isn't a diabetic, she can stop worrying.