HESI (Health and Environmental Sciences Institute) Health Assessment Practice Test

A 68-year-old woman struggles to read and see faces due to some loss of central vision. What condition might this indicate?

1. Normal age-related vision changes

2. Beginning stages of cataract formation

3. Increased intraocular pressure

4. Macular degeneration

The correct answer is: Macular degeneration

The symptoms described in the scenario, particularly the difficulty in reading and seeing faces due to loss of central vision, are characteristic of macular degeneration. This condition primarily affects the macula, which is the central part of the retina responsible for sharp, detailed vision. As macular degeneration progresses, it leads to a gradual loss of central vision while peripheral vision often remains relatively unaffected. In older adults, this progressive decline in central vision can greatly impact daily activities such as reading, driving, and recognizing faces, which aligns well with the woman's struggles observed in the scenario. While normal age-related vision changes can occur, they typically do not present with such specific and severe implications for central vision. In addition, although cataracts can affect vision, they usually cause blurriness and a perception of halos around lights rather than specifically obstructing central vision. Increased intraocular pressure is typically associated with glaucoma, which also differs as it commonly leads to peripheral vision loss before central vision loss occurs. Thus, the combination of her age, the specific nature of her vision difficulty, and the loss of central vision point clearly to macular degeneration as the most likely condition.