Vision problems in Parkinson's such as blurred vision, dry eyes, impaired depth perception andAdaptation to low light conditionsare widespread in people with this disease. This comes from a recently published study that found that such problems can affect a person's daily activities.
Causes of vision problems in Parkinson's disease
ForPatients with Parkinson's diseaseIt is particularly important to have the best possible vision. This can help compensate for movement problems caused by the condition and reduce the risk of falls. This is what study author Carlijn Borm from the medical center in Nijmegen, Netherlands, claims.
“Our study not only found that people with theParkinson's disease eye problemshad. Most of these go beyond the aging process. However, these problems could also affect their daily life. However, most eye problems are treatable. “For this reason, it is important that we examine and treat affected individuals as often as possible.”
848 patients took part in the study. They had symptoms for an average of seven years. The researchers compared the first group with 250 other people without the disease. Both groups had an average age of 70 years. The subjects filled out a questionnaire about vision and eye problems. Participants also answered whether eye problems affected their daily activities such as driving, working on a computer, walking, or personal hygiene.
Study results
The scientists found that 82% of people with Parkinson's reported one or more eye problems. This compared to 48% of people without the disease. So the average score on the questionnaire was 10 points for people with Parkinson's vision problems compared to two points for people without the disease. The researchers also found that eye problems interfered with daily life in 68% of the sick patients, compared to the other 35%.
“Eye problems make it difficult for Parkinson’s patients to physically navigate daily life. For example, we found that half of the study participants had problems with reading and 33% had eye problems that interfered with driving,” said Borm. “For people with Parkinson’s who report having eye problems, we should refer them to a specialist for further evaluation. For those who do not report such problems, the use of a screening questionnaire can be a detection for timely treatment and therefore possible improvement in quality of life.”
A limitation of the study was that people with vision problems may be more responsive because they were asked if they wanted to participate in the study, potentially leading to an overestimation of eye problems.
