Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsChallengesCopingPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Challenges
Coping
Prevention
Blindness in one eye is also known as “monocular vision.” It can happen suddenly after illness or injury, or gradually over time.
Going blind in one eye can be an overwhelming experience, especially if the loss was sudden. Blindness in one eye can cause emotional distress and physical challenges such as learning how to navigate your surroundings with reduced vision. You may also experience social challenges such as trouble interacting with people in the way you used to.
This article provides coping strategies and emotional, physical, social, and practical guidance to help you continue to live a full life when you are blind in one eye.
Klaus Vedfelt / Getty Images
Challenges of Being Blind in One Eye
Becoming blind in one eye can be challenging in many different ways. You are likely to experience emotional difficulty as well as physical difficulty. Some people even find that social interactions are more challenging than they used to be.
Emotional Challenges
People who find themselves with any type of serious, unexpectedvision loss—including living with one eye—tend to go through seven different emotional phases of adjusting to their new life.
Like any other type of loss or trauma, everyone processes losing vision in one eye differently. Keep in mind that these stages are broad categories and not a timeline set in stone.
6 Ways to Manage Stress With Vision Loss
Being blind in one eye or having an eye that is missing completely does not qualify a person for disability benefits. For someone already dealing with the emotions that come with facing their new reality of living with one eye, finding out that they don’t qualify for disability benefits can feel like another blow.
Physical Challenges
If you are blind in one eye you may have trouble seeing people or objects on the affected side of your body. Because two eyes help you see the world in three dimensions, losing the vision in one eye can also affect yourdepth perception. This can create physical challenges, such as an increased risk of falling, tripping, or bumping into things. People with vision loss in one can also experience problems like:
Common Causes of Vision Loss
Social Challenges
People living with blindness in one eye also face social challenges, often stemming from being self-conscious about their monocular vision. This can cause fear or anxiety over interacting with other people.
It’s also possible to experience psychosocial difficulties with basic skills like:
If you lost an eye and wear a prosthetic, you may also be concerned about your appearance.In some cases, these feelings can lead to social anxiety and withdrawal from social situations.
In general, it typically takes approximately one year for someone who experienced the sudden loss of vision in one eye to adjust to their new life with monocular vision.
How to Cope With Blindness in One Eye
Not everyone gets advice from their healthcare provider on how to cope with the emotional, physical, and social challenges of being blind in one eye. If you are having trouble, you may need to ask your healthcare provider to refer you to an occupational therapist. This type of therapist can help you develop strategies for completing day-to-day tasks and coping with some of the challenges you might face.
In the meantime, there are some things you can do at home, in the workplace, or when socializing that can make it easier to cope with the loss of your vision.
What Is Occupational Therapy?
Avoiding Falls and Other Injuries
Other than walking without falling, there are many other everyday tasks that people living with one eye need to get used to doing. Here are some ways to account for changes indepth perceptionand range of vision:
Retraining Your Vision
It is possible to help retrain your working eye so it gets used to being in charge of the entirety of your vision. Here are a few exercises and minor behavior changes you can make to manage your loss of depth perception and range of vision:
A Caregiver’s Guide to Coping With Vision Loss
Driving With One Eye
Not only is it possible to drive with one eye (assuming that you have good vision in your remaining eye), but it’s also legal in many states. Though there isn’t a federal law dictating whether people with monocular vision can drive, it is up to each state to determine these regulations.
Of course, it will take some time and practice to get used to driving with one eye; you may want to look into specialized driving classes in your area.
Coping Socially and Finding Support
One thing that can help with the social aspect of living with one eye is joining support groups and communities for those going through the same thing—either online or in person. Examples include groups like LostEye andVisionAware, as well as dedicated Facebook groups.
Use of Prosthesis if Eye Is InjuredIf you’ve experienced the loss of an eye due to injury or illness, there are many different prosthetic options available, if you decide to go that route. Understandably, people may feel uncomfortable in social situations if they have an empty eye socket, so aprosthesismay help increase self-confidence and self-esteem.
Use of Prosthesis if Eye Is Injured
If you’ve experienced the loss of an eye due to injury or illness, there are many different prosthetic options available, if you decide to go that route. Understandably, people may feel uncomfortable in social situations if they have an empty eye socket, so aprosthesismay help increase self-confidence and self-esteem.
Taking Care of Your Vision
If you’ve lost your sight in one eye, it’s important to protect your other eye. See your eye care provider regularly for a vision check. Your provider will tell you how often you need to be seen. This will depend on what caused your vision loss and how healthy your other eye is.
Wear protective eyewear when playing sports or engaging in activites where there is a risk of eye damage, such as when you are gardening or working with tools.
Summary
People who are blind in one eye experience many challenges in adjusting to their condition. If you’ve lost vision in one eye, you are at higher risk for falls, tripping, and other accidents. You may also experience problems like eye strain in your good eye and sensitivity to light.
If you are blind in one eye, you may also have difficulty adjusting emotionally or socially to the changes in your vision. Certain changes to your home environment can help, but you may also want to consult an occupational therapist for help learning to manage your day-to-day tasks.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wisconsin Department of Health Services.The process of adjusting to vision loss.Vermont Association for the Blind (VABVI).Qualifying for disability benefits with vision loss.McLean M.Adapting to loss of an eye. BCMJ. 2011; 53(10): 527.Pine NS, De Terte I, Pine KR.The impact of eye loss and prosthetic eye wear on recreational, occupational and social areas of functioning.J Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2017;2(1):1016.St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.Living with one eye.MedlinePlus.Living with vision loss.Living Well With Low Vision.State vision screening and standards for license to drive.American Society of Ocularists.Surgical procedures.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wisconsin Department of Health Services.The process of adjusting to vision loss.Vermont Association for the Blind (VABVI).Qualifying for disability benefits with vision loss.McLean M.Adapting to loss of an eye. BCMJ. 2011; 53(10): 527.Pine NS, De Terte I, Pine KR.The impact of eye loss and prosthetic eye wear on recreational, occupational and social areas of functioning.J Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2017;2(1):1016.St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.Living with one eye.MedlinePlus.Living with vision loss.Living Well With Low Vision.State vision screening and standards for license to drive.American Society of Ocularists.Surgical procedures.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Wisconsin Department of Health Services.The process of adjusting to vision loss.Vermont Association for the Blind (VABVI).Qualifying for disability benefits with vision loss.McLean M.Adapting to loss of an eye. BCMJ. 2011; 53(10): 527.Pine NS, De Terte I, Pine KR.The impact of eye loss and prosthetic eye wear on recreational, occupational and social areas of functioning.J Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2017;2(1):1016.St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.Living with one eye.MedlinePlus.Living with vision loss.Living Well With Low Vision.State vision screening and standards for license to drive.American Society of Ocularists.Surgical procedures.
Wisconsin Department of Health Services.The process of adjusting to vision loss.
Vermont Association for the Blind (VABVI).Qualifying for disability benefits with vision loss.
McLean M.Adapting to loss of an eye. BCMJ. 2011; 53(10): 527.
Pine NS, De Terte I, Pine KR.The impact of eye loss and prosthetic eye wear on recreational, occupational and social areas of functioning.J Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2017;2(1):1016.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.Living with one eye.
MedlinePlus.Living with vision loss.
Living Well With Low Vision.State vision screening and standards for license to drive.
American Society of Ocularists.Surgical procedures.
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