Individuals under high levels of stress and those who struggle with anxiety disorders, like post-traumatic stress disorder or social anxiety disorder, may experience tunnel vision as a symptom of their fear or anxiety, along with other symptoms like increased heart rate, muscle tension, sweating, and shortness of breath. Occupational therapy at the beginning phases of RP can be helpful for managing the transition into the more advanced phases of the disease. This may feel like extreme tunnel vision.Īlthough there’s currently no cure or effective treatment for RP, research is ongoing. In advanced stages of RP, only a small area of central vision and slight peripheral vision may remain. The field of vision may begin to narrow, sometimes creating a tunnel vision effect. In early stages of RP, light-sensing cells may begin to deteriorate, making night driving more difficult. The disease and its progression are unpredictable. Symptoms of retinitis pigmentosa usually start in childhood, but the disease isn’t likely to develop in an individual until they are in their 20s or 40s, depending on genetics. The disease causes the retina to slowly and progressively degenerate. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a rare disease that is inherited and currently untreatable. However, if caught early, medicine and surgery (laser and conventional) can halt the progress of the disease and prevent further vision loss. There is no cure for glaucoma, and any loss as a result of glaucoma is irreversible. A person’s central vision may be excellent, and they may not realize that they’re missing objects in their side vision until significant damage to their vision has already occurred, and they have tunnel vision. The damage from glaucoma usually begins with peripheral vision loss, which is why many people don’t realize they have glaucoma until the disease has advanced and created a peripheral field defect. Glaucoma is caused by high pressure in the fluid inside the eye (vitreous fluid), which compresses the optic nerve, resulting in cell damage. Although the optic nerve is part of the eye, it functions as a component in the central nervous system. Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damage the eye’s optic nerve, which is a bundle of nerve cells that transmit messages from the eye to the brain. Other Causes of Tunnel VisionĪny condition that causes peripheral vision loss or degeneration of eye health can result in tunnel vision. A healthy lifestyle and diet can also promote eye health. Some people experience tunnel vision when they’re under extreme stress or experiencing an anxiety disorder.īecause many of the conditions that cause tunnel vision have no early symptoms and can cause irreversible vision loss, early detection is important for prevention. It is one of the most common causes of tunnel vision.Īnother leading cause of tunnel vision is retinitis pigmentosa, a rare and inherited eye disease that’s currently untreatable and leads to blindness. Glaucoma, a collection of diseases that harm the eye’s optic nerve, causes peripheral vision loss. If tunnel vision is caught in an early stage, multiple treatment options are available, from medications to laser therapy to surgery.Ī person can have peripheral vision problems even if they have excellent central, or straight-ahead, vision. Leading causes are glaucoma and retinitis pigmentosa. Moderate and severe cases of side vision problems can lead to peripheral vision loss, creating the sensation of looking through a narrow tube. Tunnel vision describes a condition in which that vision field is much more reduced, and it refers to cases when peripheral vision is moderately or severely restricted. This sight span usually lets someone see things that are to the far right and the far left. People with normal peripheral vision have a lateral field of view that creates an almost 180-degree angle and vertical field of view of about 135 degrees. What Is Tunnel Vision? Peripheral vision is also known as side vision - the ability to see objects or people to the side (or above and below) as a person looks straight ahead.
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