3.4 - Visual Field Loss: Seeing the World Through a Narrow Lens

When you lose part of your visual field, it’s like the world shrinks without warning—and you don’t even realize what’s missing.

Imagine reading a book where every third word disappears—or walking with half your peripheral vision blacked out. That’s the daily experience for people with visual field loss, and it affects everything from reading to personal safety.

In this blog, we’ll unpack what visual field loss looks like, where it comes from, and how vision rehabilitation restores functional vision and independence.

Types of Visual Field Loss

• Hemianopia: One side of the visual field is gone

• Quadrantanopia: A quarter of the field is lost

• Scotomas: Patchy blind spots within the field

• Tunnel vision: Loss of peripheral awareness

Causes include stroke, trauma, tumors, glaucoma, and certain neurological diseases.

How Field Loss Impacts Life

• Misses objects, curbs, or people on affected side

• Bumps into doorframes or desks

• Ignores half of a reading page or food plate

• Can’t scan shelves, signs, or busy scenes

• Ineligible for driving due to field restrictions

• High fall risk due to reduced spatial awareness

📊 Studies show that visual field loss doubles the risk of falls and can reduce reading speed by more than 50%.

Vision Rehabilitation Strategies

• Scanning therapy: Trains the eyes to compensate for the blind side

• Saccadic training: Improves reading flow and orientation

• Prism glasses: Shift images into the functioning field

• Mobility and orientation therapy: Boosts independence with adaptive strategies

• Contrast and text size tools: Support better reading on affected side

Quote to Remember

Final Thoughts

Visual field loss doesn’t have to mean giving up independence. Vision rehabilitation offers proven ways to retrain the eyes, adapt the brain, and rebuild a wider view of the world—literally and emotionally.