Vision and Eye Problems in Parkinson’s Disease
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Parkinson’s disease can cause or contribute to a number of different problems with your eyes and vision — problems that may not always be easily recognized or screened for.
“Historically, there hasn’t been a ton of attention placed on vision changes” in Parkinson’s, says Indu Subramanian, MD, a neurologist and a clinical professor at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine in Los Angeles. “Major issues with vision are not classic in Parkinson’s.”
But, Dr. Subramanian says, vision changes related to Parkinson’s can and do have a real impact on your quality of life — potentially making it more difficult to read, walk safely, and see or find objects. What’s more, certain Parkinson’s treatments can contribute to vision problems.
Common and Not-So-Common Problems
Some of the most common complaints related to vision and eyes among people with Parkinson’s include difficulty reading, double vision, and dry eyes, according to the American Parkinson Disease Association. Other common problems include blurriness and issues with color vision, Subramanian notes.
In a study involving 848 people with Parkinson’s, researchers found that the most common eye problem reported by participants was dry eyes, which affected 86 percent, followed by misaligned eyes, which affected 50 percent. Overall, 92 percent had one or more clinically meaningful eye or vision problems.
While serious vision impairment isn’t especially common among people with Parkinson’s, it does appear to be more common than in the general population. In an analysis of Medicare beneficiaries in the United States, visual impairment affected 1.7 percent of those with Parkinson’s, compared with 0.71 percent of those without Parkinson’s. After adjusting for other differences between these two groups, the researchers found that those with Parkinson’s were 60 percent more likely to have visual impairment.
Here is a look at various ways that Parkinson’s can lead to vision and eye problems, as well as potential solutions to some of these problems and guidance for seeking treatment.
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