Have you ever felt like your vision is not quite what it should be when you are at home, but your eye doctor – optometrist or ophthalmologist – says your vision is just fine? The problem may not be your eyes, but your home lighting.
“The results from our study suggest that older adults are not seeing as well in their homes compared to their vision when tested in the clinic,” said Dr. Anjali Bhorade, a Washington University School of Medicine professor of ophthalmology. “For example, a patient may see 20/20 in the clinic. However, [they can] have 20/40 or worse vision in their home.”
Dr. Bhorade, who studied 175 eye patients between the ages of 55 and 90, observing each patient at home and in the doctor’s office, says the primary culprit is poor home lighting. More than 85% of adults had lighting “below that of the recommended level,” according to research. This directly affected vision and thus daily function.
“Our results suggest that simply … increasing lighting may improve the vision of older adults in their homes,” said Dr. Bhorade.
Dr. Bhorade’s findings appeared in the November 21st issue of the journal JAMA Ophthalmology.
“The ophthalmologist’s office is not the world we live in,” warns Dr. Alfred Sommer, a Bloomberg School of Public Health professor of ophthalmology. “It’s no surprise that when people are in their home setting, under ambient conditions, everything is a little bit grayer and not so intense. The question is whether that difference has a functional impact. Can people easily navigate through their world and function in society?”
If you have any questions about your vision or wish to schedule an appointment with Anne Arundel Eye Center, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists here at AAEC by calling 410-224-2010 or visiting AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!
For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.
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