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<h1>
<span>Retinitis Pigmentosa</span>
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<a class="c-jump-menu__item" href="#section-id-1232">Symptoms</a>
<a class="c-jump-menu__item" href="#section-id-1229">Causes</a>
<a class="c-jump-menu__item" href="#section-id-1241">Diagnosis</a>
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<h2 class="c-at-a-glance__title">At a glance: Retinitis Pigmentosa</h2>
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<strong class="c-at-a-glance__label">Early Symptoms:</strong>
<div class="c-at-a-glance__description"><p><span><span><span>Loss of night vision and side (peripheral) vision </span></span></span></p></div>
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<strong class="c-at-a-glance__label">Later Symptoms:</strong>
<div class="c-at-a-glance__description"><p><span><span>Vision loss and blindness </span></span></p></div>
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<strong class="c-at-a-glance__label">Diagnosis:</strong>
<div class="c-at-a-glance__description"><p><span><span>Dilated eye exam, electroretinography (a type of retina test), genetic test </span></span></p></div>
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<strong class="c-at-a-glance__label">Treatment:</strong>
<div class="c-at-a-glance__description"><p><span><span>Low vision aids, vision rehabilitation</span></span></p></div>
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What is retinitis pigmentosa?
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<p><span><span><span><span>Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of rare eye diseases that affect the retina </span></span><span>(the light-sensitive layer of tissue in the back of the eye). RP makes cells in the retina break down slowly over time, causing vision loss.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span>RP is a genetic disease that people are born with. Symptoms usually start in childhood, and most people eventually lose most of their sight. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span>Theres no cure for RP. But vision aids and rehabilitation (training) programs can help people with RP make the most of their vision. </span></span></span></span></p>
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What are the symptoms of RP?
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<p class="Heading3CxSpFirst"><span><span><span><span><span><span>The most common early symptom of RP is loss of night vision — usually starting in childhood. Parents may notice that children with RP have trouble moving around in the dark or adjusting to dim light.&nbsp; </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="Heading3CxSpMiddle"><span><span><span><span><span><span>RP also causes loss of side (peripheral) vision — so you have trouble seeing things out of the corners of your eyes. Over time, your field of vision narrows until you only have some central vision (also called tunnel vision). </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="Heading3CxSpLast"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Some people with RP lose their vision more quickly than others. Eventually, most people with RP lose their side vision and their central vision. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="Heading3CxSpFirst"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Other symptoms of RP include:</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li class="Heading3CxSpMiddle"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Sensitivity to bright light </span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li class="Heading3CxSpLast"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Loss of color vision</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="c-section" id="section-id-1229">
<h2 class="c-section__heading">
What causes RP?
</h2>
<div class="c-text">
<p class="Heading3CxSpFirst"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Most of the time, RP is caused by changes in genes that control cells in the retina. These changed genes are passed down from parents to children. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="Heading3CxSpMiddle"><span><span><span><span><span><span>RP is linked to many different genes and can be inherited in different ways. If you have RP, you can talk with your doctor or a specialist called a genetic counselor to learn more about your risk of passing RP to your children. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="Heading3CxSpLast"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Sometimes RP happens as part of other genetic conditions, like Usher syndrome. Usher syndrome causes both vision and hearing loss. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
</div>
<div class="c-link">
<a href="/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/usher-syndrome" class="c-link__link">Learn more about Usher syndrome </a>
</div>
<div class="c-text">
<p class="Heading3"><span><span><span><span><span><span>RP can also be caused by some medicines, infections, or by an eye injury —&nbsp;but these causes arent as common.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="c-section" id="section-id-1241">
<h2 class="c-section__heading">
How will my eye doctor check for RP?
</h2>
<div class="c-text">
<p><span><span><span><span>Eye doctors can check for&nbsp;RP&nbsp;as part of&nbsp;a&nbsp;comprehensive&nbsp;dilated eye exam.&nbsp;The exam is&nbsp;simple and painless —&nbsp;the doctor will give you some eye drops to dilate (widen) your pupil and then check your eyes&nbsp;for RP and other eye problems.&nbsp;The exam includes a visual field test to check peripheral (side) vision.</span></span></span></span></p>
</div>
<div class="c-link">
<a href="/learn-about-eye-health/healthy-vision/get-dilated-eye-exam" class="c-link__link">Learn what to expect from a dilated eye exam </a>
</div>
<div class="c-text">
<p><span><span><span><span>Other tests for RP include: </span></span></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span><span><strong><span><span>Electroretinography (ERG).</span></span></strong><span><span> ERG lets the eye doctor check how well your retina responds to light.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span><span><strong><span><span>­Optical coherence tomography (OCT).&nbsp;</span></span></strong><span><span>This test uses light waves to take a detailed picture of your retina.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span><span><strong><span><span>Fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging. </span></span></strong><span><span>In this test, the eye doctor uses blue light to take a picture of the retina.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span><span><strong><span><span>Genetic testing.</span></span></strong><span><span> Your doctor may suggest a genetic test to learn more about the type of RP they have. This can tell you how your RP symptoms may change over time. </span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="c-section" id="section-id-1243">
<h2 class="c-section__heading">
Whats the treatment for RP?
</h2>
<div class="c-text">
<p class="Heading3"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Theres no cure for RP, but low vision aids and rehabilitation (training) programs can help people with RP make the most of their vision. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
</div>
<div class="c-link">
<a href="/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/low-vision" class="c-link__link">Learn more about living with low vision </a>
</div>
<div class="c-text">
<p class="Heading3"><span><span><span><a><span><span><span>You can also talk with your eye doctor about vitamins and supplements for RP. </span></span></span></a><span><span><span>Vitamin A may help slow vision loss from the common forms of RP. But taking too much vitamin A can cause liver problems — so talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of this treatment. Fish oil and lutein supplements may also help slow vision loss.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="c-callout c-callout--wide c-callout--rounded" id="section-id-18706">
<div class="c-callout__content">
<h2 class="c-callout__heading">
Get regular eye exams
</h2>
<div class="c-text">
<p class="Heading3CxSpFirst"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Its very important for people with RP to get regular eye exams. That way, the eye doctor can keep track of symptoms and help find the right treatments.&nbsp; </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="Heading3CxSpMiddle"><span><span><span><span><span><span>People with RP are also more likely to have other eye problems, like: </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li class="Heading3CxSpMiddle"><span><span><span><a href="https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/refractive-errors"><span><span><span>Refractive errors</span></span></span></a> </span></span></span></li>
<li class="Heading3CxSpMiddle"><span><span><span><a href="https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/cataracts"><span><span><span>Cataracts</span></span></span></a> </span></span></span></li>
<li class="Heading3CxSpMiddle"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Small pockets of fluid in the center part of the retina (cystoid macular edema)</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="Heading3CxSpLast"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Regular eye exams can help your eye doctor find and treat these problems them early on. This will help you make the most of your vision.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="c-section" id="section-id-1245">
<h2 class="c-section__heading">
Whats the latest research on RP?
</h2>
<div class="c-text">
<p><span><span><span>NEI funds research about RP and other genetic eye diseases with the goal of preventing vision loss and giving people their sight back. <a>Currently, NEI researchers are studying gene therapies, cell therapies, and new medications as experimental treatments that may become standard treatments in the future.</a></span></span></span></p>
</div>
<div class="c-link">
<a href="/about/news-and-events/news?topic=57&amp;initiatives=All&amp;research=All&amp;source=All&amp;created=All&amp;language=All" class="c-link__link">Get the latest on NEI-supported RP research </a>
</div>
<div class="c-text">
<p><span><span><span>To find current studies on RP, you can search for clinical trials on </span><a href="https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/"><span>ClinicalTrials.gov</span></a><span>.</span></span></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="c-callout c-callout--wide c-callout--rounded" id="section-id-18709">
<div class="c-callout__content">
<h2 class="c-callout__heading">
RP Resources
</h2>
<div class="c-text">
<ul>
<li><span><span><a href="https://nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/rare-diseases"><span>See NEIs resources for rare diseases</span></a></span></span></li>
<li><span><span><a href="https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/resources-for-health-educators/low-vision-resources"><span>See our materials for community health educators on low vision</span></a></span></span></li>
<li><span><span><a href="https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/resources-for-health-educators/outreach-materials?topic=241&amp;type=All&amp;audience=All&amp;language=All"><span>Get flyers, booklets, and other resources on low vision to print or download</span> </a></span></span>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</article>
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<p class="views-element-container c-last-updated" id="block-views-block-nei-last-updated-block-1"><strong>Last updated:</strong> November 15, 2023</p>
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