Abdullah Ahmed, University of Illinois Chicago research fellow, on age and vision loss after burns | AAO 2026

Nearly 18% of adult burn survivors reported difficulty seeing even with correction, and age was the strongest predictor of that impairment, according to a cross-sectional study of 1,484 adults enrolled in the U.S. Burn Model System presented at the 2026 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Annual Meeting. Abdullah Ahmed, a research fellow in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago, presented the study.

Survivors who reported vision impairment were older than those who did not, with a median age of 52 years versus 44 years. Women had about 30% lower odds than men. Total body surface area burned, burn mechanism and skin grafting were not significantly associated with vision impairment. The researchers concluded that the findings support targeted eye screening for burn survivors, particularly older adults.

Burns can harm sight through several pathways, Ahmed explained. Heat and chemicals can directly damage the cornea, the clear front part of the eye, with chemical burns among the most damaging, and research has linked electrical injuries to cataracts. More often, he said, the problem involves the eyelids. Burned lids heal with scar tissue that tightens over time, which can pull the lid away from the eye or keep it from closing fully. The exposed eye then dries out, raising the risk of ulcers, infection and scarring.

In this interview with Managed Healthcare Executive, Ahmed discusses why age emerged as the clearest signal in the data. He said the odds rose by roughly one-third with each decade of age and that fewer than 1 in 10 survivors in their 20s reported trouble seeing, compared with close to 1 in 3 of those older than 70. Older adults are more likely to arrive with existing cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration or diabetic eye disease. Older eyes also produce fewer tears, heal more slowly and have looser eyelids.

From the patient’s perspective, he said, the distinction matters less than the consequence. “If you are 70, you are recovering from a burn and you can’t see well, your risk of falling goes up a lot,” Ahmed said.