Alzheimer Vision Problems: Symptoms, Causes & What to Do

The eyes are the organs responsible for vision. They send signals to the brain, which processes them into the images we perceive. However, when these stop functioning as needed, individuals may face challenges. Difficulty processing visual information can make it challenging to find items in cluttered spaces. Images that are captured through the eyes are processed in the visual center, which is at the back of the brain. In addition, when progressive damage happens to the brain’s vision center, it gets challenging for the person to see the whole picture.

People with this condition suffer from a progressive neurological disorder that affects the visual system that leads to various impairments. This leads to a range of vision problems. In this write-up, we have covered all about Alzheimer vision problems, from its symptoms to causes and strategies to cope with it. Read on to learn more!

Stages of Alzheimer’s Vision Issues

When Alzheimer’s disease advances throughout its stages, visual perception can significantly deteriorate. Moreover, it also affects various aspects of visual processing. Below, we have provided you with a breakdown of Alzheimer’s vision problems stages:

Early Stage

• They struggle to differentiate between light and dark areas. It makes it hard for them to navigate cluttered environments or read small prints.
• Face difficulties in understanding the distances between objects may cause stumbling or misreaching.
• They experience struggles in following moving objects or finding specific items.

Moderate Stage

• Misidentify familiar people or objects, specifically in complex visual scenes.
• Unable to recognize the things that are kept in front of them. They give them names like “things” or “stuff”.
• Having confusion leads them to trouble navigating familiar areas.
• Misinterpreting visual information.

Also Read:- Lewy Body Dementia Vs Alzheimer’s: A Brief Comparison

Advanced Stage

• They may start facing visual hallucinations, such as seeing people who are not there.
• Overall, there was a significant decline in vision sharpness.
• The problem is tracking movements or focusing on objects.
• Due to brain damage, individuals may lose the ability to notice objects on one side of their visual field.

Alzheimer Vision Problems: Key Visual Symptoms

Alzheimer’s disease can be caused due to the proteins that get collected in the brain. It damages the connections between neurons and kills the cells. This disease can affect the various aspects of the vision. This includes:

• You will have difficulty reading, seeing objects clearly, or recognizing faces. They generally face this situation in low-light conditions.
• They face problems in distinguishing between the shades of colors or grays. It makes it challenging to recognize or navigate the objects.
• Loss of peripherals can lead to difficulty in judging distances or detecting movement.
• Hallucination is a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease that involves seeing patterns, people, or shapes that do not exist, which can be disorienting and distressing.
• Perceiving images or objects as smaller, larger, or distorted. This can affect the daily chores like using utensils or dressing.

Causes of Early Alzheimer Vision Problems

You may suffer from early Alzheimer’s vision problems because of the disease that is affecting the brain areas that are for visual processing. This leads to difficulty in understanding visual information even if the eyes are still healthy. Below are some of the causes behind weird vision problems in early Alzheimer’s:

Brain-Based Issue

The main cause of Alzheimer’s vision issues is not a problem but the eyes themselves. The brain cannot process visual information because of damage to the visual cortex.

Amyloid and Tau Proteins

Amyloid and Tau protein buildup in the brain, specifically in the posterior cortical regions. It leads to the development of PCA and other Alzheimer’s visual symptoms.

Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA)

In this condition, a person has difficulty performing vision-related tasks like judging distances, writing, and retrieving dropped objects. This condition still happens when the eyes are still normally working. PCA is an early symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, and it occurs in approximately 10% of cases.

Signs of Vision Problems in Early Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s disease, also known as neurodegenerative disorder. It not only affects cognitive functions but also the visual processing. However, early Alzheimer vision problems can go unnoticed, yet it is an important sign of Alzheimer’s, specifically if the patient has posterior cortical atrophy (PCA).

• Patients may have difficulty seeing people or objects. Moreover, they have problems doing their daily chores, like navigating through spaces.
• Mirrors, shiny surfaces, and bright lights may cause pain or discomfort for patients.
• Patients may struggle to understand differences like shades of gray or colors. This leads to difficulty in recognizing objects, reading, and completing daily tasks.
• Experiencing abnormal patterns in eye movement, like hypermetric saccades or slower reaction times. This leads to visual processing issues.

Impact of Alzheimer Vision Problems on Cognitive Health

Vision problems that are connected with Alzheimer’s disease can impact cognitive health. It reduces the amount of visual information which reaches the brain. This makes it difficult for the patient to recognize the object, navigate things, and overall cognitive function.

What can be done in this situation:

Regular eye exams: If the issue is detected as soon as possible, it becomes easy to manage vision problems.

Follow a healthy lifestyle: Regular exercise, cognitive activities, and a balanced diet can help maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Vision aids: Wearing magnifiers, corrective lenses, or other assistive devices can improve visual input.

Adapting environmental changes: Adjusting the contrasting colors, lights, and surrounding colors can help you navigate.

Cognitive rehabilitation: You can maintain cognitive function by getting engaged with the activities that help stimulate processing.

Strategies to Manage Vision Problems in Early Alzheimer’s

It is important to know the strategies to manage Alzheimer’s vision problems. These include:

• Regular exercise can help identify changes in vision and enable early intervention.
• Reading lamps and magnifying glasses can help individuals with reading and writing.
• Make the living space more spacious, use non-slip flooring, and remove the extra clutter. It can help reduce the chances of falls and accidents.
• Caregivers can provide emotional support to patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, provide them reassurance that you are with them in vision-related challenges.

Using these strategies in managing Alzheimer’s disease helps to improve the quality of life.

Conclusion

This is all we would discuss about Alzheimer vision problems. You may now understand its symptoms, causes, and what you can do. Alzheimer’s disease can affect an individual’s behavior, quality of life, and more. Additionally, it is a severe situation that can lead to a decline in cognitive health.

Do you need help with weird vision problems early Alzheimer’s? Consider Alnicor Consulting! We know it is not that easy to deal with Alzheimer’s disease. But Alnicor Consulting can help you with this. Our skilled team provides you with professional service so that you can recover as soon as possible. Join our video sessions and get the reliable support that you and your loved one deserve!