Tunnel vision can result from brain problems, eye diseases, hallucinogenic drugs, extreme activities, and exposure to contaminated air or high oxygen pressure. Glaucoma and retinitis pigmentosa are common eye diseases that cause tunnel vision. It can lead to blindness and even death in some cases.
Tunnel vision is a medical condition that results in a loss of peripheral vision. As a result, the patient can only see objects within a circular field. This condition has many possible causes, including brain problems, some eye diseases, hallucinogenic drugs, and some extreme activities.
Blood loss in parts of the brain can lead to tunnel vision, as can a tumor pressing against the optic fibers. A person who is exposed to air contaminated with oils and hydraulic fluids, such as can happen on an airplane, can also develop this condition. Getting sick while on an airplane can cause temporary vision problems.
Some eye diseases can also lead to tunnel vision. Retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited condition that can lead to blindness, may be one cause. Typically, this disorder begins to manifest itself as night blindness, which then leads to a loss of peripheral vision and ultimately to blindness. However, not all people with the disorder go blind.
Glaucoma, a disease that affects the optic nerve, can also cause tunnel vision. The pressure exerted on the optic nerve causes the eye to lose retinal ganglion cells, which can ultimately lead to blindness in the patient. For some patients, there may be some loss of peripheral vision before blindness.
Hallucinogenic drug use can also cause brain and nerve damage, which can result in permanent or temporary tunnel vision. Extreme stress, such as that experienced during a panic attack, is another possible cause. Specific activities and sports can also cause a temporary loss of peripheral vision. Fighter pilots and acrobats, for example, may encounter this problem during a sustained high acceleration of one or more seconds. In this case, the person may even lose consciousness.
Exposure to oxygen at a pressure above 1.5-XNUMX atmospheres can be toxic to the central nervous system. This occurs most often when diving. In addition to tunnel vision, this oxygen pressure can cause fatigue, dizziness, blindness, nausea, confusion, anxiety, and lack of coordination. When a loss of peripheral vision affects a person engaged in an activity such as driving or flying an airplane, it can result in death, because the individual is unable to see properly.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
