Vision and memory problems aren’t something we commonly associate. However, there seems to be a fairly strong link between them. It’s somewhat similar to hearing loss and cognition.
With that in mind, we can see it in two ways. Firstly, vision loss may result in memory issues. But, the latter could also cause the former. That’s another reason why you should improve your vision. That’s especially true when we consider common problems, like UV light.
But, what’s the science behind these beliefs? In this article, I’ll review everything we know so far.
So, let’s dive into it.
Correlation between vision and memory problems
According to Salus University, visual health plays a huge role in brain function. Dr. Lynn Greenspan suggests that vision problems affect the brain. That’s because of how important visual input is.
With bad input, our brains don’t get a full picture of our surroundings. That results in having to work harder to fill in the missing details. One mentioned study suggests that poor vision correlates with higher dementia risk.
That’s—in part—because poor vision can hinder a patient’s performance in therapy.
Dementia, Alzheimer’s, and eyesight
Aging takes a toll on our brains and eyes. That’s a problem when we consider our vision mechanism. Essentially, our eyes collect information and send these signals to the brain. Our brains are responsible for processing these signals.
That’s the link between vision and memory problems. If our eyes can’t provide enough information, cognitive decline can be a result. Also, Alzheimer’s changes to the brain can influence how our brains process visual data. So, it’s a cyclical problem.
How vision changes with cognitive decline
For starters, visual perception changes can influence someone’s behavior. That can mess with their relationship with caregivers. Lacking depth perception can also mess with their understanding of their surroundings.
Alzheimer’s can also make it harder to calculate one’s distance to objects. All these changes can make a patient more nervous. Thus, it results in more erratic behavior. They may appear apprehensive or frightened due to distorted environmental perceptions.
How vision loss can change your brain
So, cognitive deterioration can change our vision. But, vision loss can also affect the brain. More research has demonstrated that vision is critical for brain function.
We can view it as a resource allocation problem. Our brains need energy to make sense of what our eyes see. So, more energy is necessary if our eyes’ signals aren’t ideal. That would require more resources, taking away from cognitive function.
Eye disease and cognitive decline link vision and memory problems
So, how does all of this connect to memory problems? Cognitive decline takes a huge toll on our memory. Thus, eye disease links to memory decline. That’s the relationship between vision and memory problems.
We can look at retinopathy as an excellent example. Retinopathy is the result of damage to blood vessels in the retina. And, it may be a sign of dementia risk.
Naturally, retinopathy is an indicator of small vessel disease. That means that vessel-related memory also suffers. That’s an example of how eye diseases and memory problems may stem from the same mechanisms.
As such, one is a risk factor for the other.
The holistic takeaway
Vision and memory problems share a complicated relationship. We could say that one could cause the other. But, one thing is certain. They tend to occur for similar reasons. Thus, vision problems might mean you should look at your cognitive functions.
That’s why the best approach is to treat both sides of the equation. And, it’s also why I recommend ReVision. This supplement aims to improve your vision with a new approach. Its formula improves how our brains translate visual signals. So, you’re improving the entire picture.
To learn how it works, check out my review!
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