Eye disease affects millions of people. But describing vision loss is difficult. With NEI’s virtual reality (VR) app, you can experience what it’s like to live with vision loss from common eye diseases.
To get started, download the NEI VR: See What I See app on your smartphone.
The app also features 4 quizzes to check your knowledge about age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy.
Disclaimer: The See What I See Virtual Reality Eye Disease Experience mobile application does not currently comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
Preview the See What I See VR Experience
Explore these images and videos from the See What I See app. Be sure to download the app for the true VR experience!
AMD
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) causes blurriness or spots in the center of your vision.
Cataracts
When you have a cataract, the lens of your eye gets cloudy. The view is like looking through dusty glass.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy can cause vision loss and blindness in people with diabetes. People with diabetic retinopathy may see floaters (dark spots that move around) and have blurry vision.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma causes vision loss by damaging the optic nerve in the back of your eye. One of the first signs of glaucoma is loss of peripheral (side) vision. Eye exams can catch glaucoma early, before it affects your vision.
Mobile App Privacy Policy
NEI developed the See What I See mobile app, which is available for download on the Google play and iOS app stores. We do not collect any personally identifiable information (PII), such as name, phone number, mailing address, email address, or location, when users download the app. We do collect some device-specific information, such as internet protocol (IP) addresses and international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) numbers. This information is collected by our analytics software, which will help us better understand how the public uses the app and how to make it more helpful. It will not be used for commercial marketing or any purpose unrelated to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) mission and goals. Read NEI’s complete Website Privacy Policy.