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Stargardt disease: central vision fading in a child or young adult, the gene, the tests, and the steps that may slow it
For parents of a child or teen whose central vision is fading, for anyone told they or their child has Stargardt disease, and for families. It passes on, by name, what the National Eye Institute (NEI, part of the NIH) says about Stargardt disease: what it is and the symptoms; the gene and families; the dilated eye exam and the tests; and the steps that may slow vision loss, with low vision help. It builds the questions to ask and prints a card. Nothing is saved.
Right now
- Sudden loss of sight with a drooping face, weakness or numbness, or trouble speaking? Call 911 (ours: the NEI page does not name 911).
- A curtain over your vision, a lot of new floaters or flashes, or sight that drops suddenly? The loss in Stargardt disease is slow, so a sudden change can be something else. Ours: call your eye doctor right away, or go to an emergency room the same day (see retinal detachment).
- It is all too much, or you have thoughts of suicide? Call or text 988, any hour, free (ours).
More help
- Sight on this site: Low vision · Color blindness · Retinitis pigmentosa · Retinal detachment · Eyes and sight: find the right page.
- Also: Help at school · Quit smoking · Glasses and eye exams you can afford · Disability benefits · Caring for someone.
- For you: Get ready for your appointment · Low-cost health care. In an emergency: Help right now (988, 911). All our free tools.
Your eyes or your sight, and not sure this is the right page? The pages on this site for a hurt or pink eye, glaucoma, cataracts, diabetes and the eyes, macular degeneration, a detached retina, dry eye, fading sight and eye care you can afford, on one list.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 23, 2026 on the National Eye Institute’s (NIH) page Stargardt Disease, last updated December 4, 2024. Ours: the 911 and 988 lines; the same day for a sudden change in sight; checking every vitamin and supplement with the eye doctor or a pharmacist; asking about a genetic counselor; telling the school; asking about driving; asking for low vision services early; the questions to ask; the card; the links to our other pages; and the order of the steps. What we left out: the research section (gene therapy studies in mice, a medicine study, NEI’s research clinic), the research news and the clinical trial. This page gives no amount of any vitamin and names no product: ask your eye doctor. Nothing you tick or type here is saved or sent.