Retinitis pigmentosa  Produced with the help of the Royal
College of Ophthalmologists  About retinitis pigmentosa
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the name given to a diverse group
of inherited eye disorders. These eye conditions affect a part
of your eye called the retina. RP causes permanent changes to
your vision but how quickly this happens and how it changes
differs between people. These changes may include difficulty
with vision in dim light or the dark and the loss of your side
or peripheral vision.  If you have RP, sight loss is gradual but
progresses over a period of many years. Some people with RP
might become blind but most people with RP keep some useful
vision well into old age.  New research is constantly changing
our understanding of RP. The British Retinitis Pigmentosa
Society (RP Fighting Blindness) website and leaflets offer
current updates with detailed explanations of these issues.  How
your eye works  When you look at something, light passes through
the front of your eye, and is focused by t