Visual impairment is common in adults with CP. Depending on the part of the brain that has been damaged by the CP and how bad that damage is, it can range from no vision (blindness) or very low vision, to not being able to see particular colours. CP can also affect the ability to focus and process visual signals.

Some of the types of vision impairment caused by CP include:

• Strabismus – turning of the eyes in different directions
• Hyperopia – farsightedness (difficulty in seeing close objects)
• Myopia – nearsightedness (difficulty in seeing far objects)
• Presbyopia – a condition of the lens that can blur vision
• Refractive errors – insufficient or misplaced light in the retina
• Cerebral Visual Impairment – where the eyes can’t make sense of what the child or young person is seeing, causing difficulty focusing on objects, blurred vision, field vision loss, problems with fast eye movements, trouble recognising familiar faces.

As we all age, our vision gradually deteriorates. We can also develop age-related eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration.

Other eye problems include:

• floaters - tiny specks that seem to float across your field of vision
• eyelid problems – may include red and swollen eyelids, itching, tearing and crusting of eyelashes during sleep
• corneal conditions – may cause redness, watery eyes, pain, problems with vision or a halo effect (where things appear to have an aura of light around them)
• dry eye – occurs when tear glands don’t function well.

For older adults with CP, this can impact sight that is already affected by CP and significantly influence your quality of life. You will need to adapt to new concerns with sight that can include:

• a reduced field of vision
• a decrease in visual clarity
• taking longer to adapt to changes in light (brightness or darkness)
• reduced colour perception
• being unable to focus properly on nearby objects.

It is important that you have regular eye tests with an optometrist and assessments with an ophthalmologist to monitor any age-related vision issues. They can update your treatment plan and sometimes, this can be as simple as prescribing new glasses with stronger lenses.

Preserving your eyesight as you age can help reduce your risk of having falls and experiencing social isolation.