NEW YORK, March 31 (Reuters) -- A new study finds that episodes of blurred vision can have a greater impact on quality of life than conditions like chronic incontinence or headache.
"Among all symptoms, only shortness of breath was associated with greater decrements in functioning and well-being than blurred vision," say researchers at the University of Southern California School of Medicine in Los Angeles.
They studied the two-year lifestyle histories of 1,642 people under the age of 65, all of whom also suffered from a chronic illness such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, or heart disease.
The researchers then asked the respondents to rank various symptoms (such as blurred vision, incontinence, headache, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and indigestion) in terms of how detrimental the problems were to daily functioning.
"Blurred vision was associated with significantly greater limitations than indigestion... trouble urinating... and headache," the study concluded. Survey respondents also found that blurred vision caused more hardship in people's daily lives than a history of major illness such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart attack.
"The loss of vision has been and remains one of the most feared chronic disabilities among the US public," researchers affirm. They say it impedes emotional well-being, social functioning, energy levels, and general health.
Temporary vision impairment can be linked to a myriad of complaints -- from simple fatigue or alcohol intoxication, to medication side-effects and heart disease.
The researchers say their study points out that the condition, too often ignored, needs to be treated with the same importance as other complaints. They say their study is a "beginning in better understanding health and well-being from a patient-oriented perspective."
SOURCE: Ophthalmology (1997;104(3):390-396)
