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| What is retinitis pigmentosa? | Causes | Symptoms | Treatment | Vision aids |
Retinitis pigmentosa is a slow loss of the light-sensing cells in the retina causing a gradual, progressive loss of vision. It tends to run in families.
Fifty percent of the cases of retinitis pigmentosa are inherited while fifty percent are sporadic and occur for no known reason.
Retinitis pigmentosa usually begins in childhood or adolescence, but it may start at any age. The person's rod cells cease functioning and night blindness develops. Then patients lose their side vision.
If you are experiencing some of the symptoms described here, it does not necessarily mean you have retinitis pigmentosa. However, if you experience one or more of these symptoms, you should contact your eye doctor for a complete exam. Click here for information on emergency or immediate care.
There is no cure for retinitis pigmentosa and no known good treatment method.
The sight of sufferers of retinitis pigmentosa may be helped with vision aids such as magnifying lenses, electronic magnifiers, night vision scopes, telescopic lenses for distance vision, special filters, and field enhancers.
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