National Eye Institute: Diabetic Retinopathy
The federal research agency for vision and eye health, offering plain-language patient information on every major eye condition.
Visit SiteWhat am I seeing?
Blind spots.
Areas of vision are partially or completely missing.
Faded patches.
Some areas may appear dim or unclear.
Shifting gaps.
Blind spots move as your eyes move.
Interrupted view.
Objects may appear incomplete or broken up.
“There's a hole where part of the page should be“
Patchy Vision Loss
What’s happening to vision?
This web experience is intended for educational and empathy-building purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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Patchy vision loss, also called scotoma, creates one or more blind spots within your field of view. Instead of losing all vision, only certain areas are affected, while the rest may remain clear.
These blind spots can appear in one or both eyes and may be temporary or permanent, depending on the cause.
What changes
Small things suddenly aren’t.
01
Vision feels incomplete:
The full picture is harder to piece together.
02
Blind spots vary in size:
They may be small, large, or multiple.
03
Reading becomes fragmented:
Words or letters may be partially hidden.
04
Gaps disrupt awareness:
Important details may be missed entirely.
Conditions that cause this
What's behind this?
Many different conditions can affect the way you see. Here are some of the conditions commonly associated with this type of visual change.
- Conditions that may require urgent care.
- Ocular migraine (migraine with aura)
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Retinal vein occlusion (RVO)
- Retinal artery occlusion
- Stroke affecting the visual cortex
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Glaucoma
Treatment & support
Can it be treated?
Treatment for patchy vision loss depends on the underlying cause.
Some cases may improve with medication, laser therapy, or specialized treatments, particularly when related to retinal or neurological conditions. Because a sudden blind spot can be a sign of a retinal artery occlusion or stroke, abrupt onset warrants emergency evaluation.
In other cases, vision changes may persist, and support tools or therapies can help people adapt to blind spots in their field of view.
Clinical Trials
Explore ongoing research and trials that might be right for you.
Visit clinicaltrials.govResources & helpful links