Peripheral Vision Loss

A loss of peripheral vision can be sudden and very scary, or gradual without noticing the onset. 

Last Updated: March 18, 2023

Symptoms

There are many symptoms of peripheral vision loss, and they range from tripping, struggling with walking in the dark, difficulty driving, seeing a curtain or spiderweb off to the side in your line of sight, and shimmers of light followed by tunnel vision lasting ten to twenty minutes. There may also be almost no symptoms at all.

Causes

Causes of peripheral vision loss can be as mild as an ocular migraine or a vitreous floater, to more serious, like a retinal detachment or a pituitary tumour. Other causes include glaucoma, stroke, retinitis pigmentosa, and brain aneurysms. Doctors of optometry are better prepared to deal with your peripheral vision loss – they have the training, experience and the specialized equipment necessary to find the cause of peripheral vision loss.

Video: Why am I losing my peripheral vision? | Dr. Deborah Jennings