Posts Tagged ‘low vision amd’

Tell Your Story

Posted on: September 24th, 2013 by lowvision

If you are one of the millions of Americans living with low vision, you have a story to tell. Your world has changed as your sight had changed. You are forced to change the way you do things, adapting your activities of daily living to accommodate for your vision changes. Low vision devices are instruments that you can use to help navigate this new world. But, which low vision device is right for you?

As with so many questions today, the answer is: it depends. It depends on your needs, wants, activity level, and allotted budget. One answer is certain, however, it all starts with your eye care provider. If your eye care provider is not a low vision specialist, ask them to recommend one. Alternately you can look at our doctor locator here to find one in your area.

When you go to see the low vision specialist it is important to TELL YOUR STORY. This includes sharing:

  • Medical history—optical health is related to overall health
  • Previous eye injuries
  • Current level of activity
  • What you want to do that you are having trouble doing because of diminished vision

The first three items are easy to explain. The fourth may require a bit of a reality check. Your vision is no longer perfect, and even with the best low vision devices on the market, you will not be able to see 20/20. But there are devices that can accommodate your specific wants and needs if you tell your specialist your story. For instance, if you love knitting, but stopped when your vision began to blur, there are low vision devices for that. If your passion is watching movies, there are devices for that as well. And if you want to be able to ride a bike or drive, there are even devices for this, depending on your visual capabilities and the laws in your state. There is a good chance that you will have to choose a few activities—you can’t have it all!

Once your low vision specialist knows your story—who you are, where you came from, and where you want to go—he or she will be able to help you select a low vision device that is right for you, and offer the proper training so you can use the device to optimize your remaining sight to accomplish your desired tasks.

To find out more about some low vision devices available, you can look on our website, here. This link shows some options that assist people who want to accomplish near tasks, intermediate-distance tasks, and long-distance tasks.

The 4 “A”s of Low Vision: Access, Awareness, Availability, Acceptance

Posted on: July 18th, 2013 by lowvision

It’s no secret that aging and changes in vision are related to one another. Although eye disorders and loss of vision can affect people throughout their lives, the prevalence of vision loss is likely to grow as you age. A recent report from Prevent Blindness America puts the economic burden of eye disorders and vision loss in the U.S. at $139 billion. That’s why access to low vision resources—such as low vision devices and vision rehabilitation services—is so important to individuals 60+ who are struggling to see and to maintain an independent lifestyle.

I recently heard Dr. Michael Fischer, Chief of Optometry Service at Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center, speak at Prevent Blindness’ Washington, DC Focus on Eye Health Summit. In addition to offering background on the problem of low vision in the U.S., he offered key points that he calls the “Four A’s of Low Vision: Access, Awareness, Availability and Acceptance.”

A few facts first: The U.S. has an aging population. By the year 2020, there will be close to 90 million people in the U.S. 65 years of age or older.

  • Age-related macular degeneration is the #1 cause of vision impairment in people 55+ in U.S.;
  • Diabetic retinopathy is the #1 cause of vision impairment in the working age U.S. population
    • 25.8M people in the U.S. have diabetes and another estimated 7M are undiagnosed;
    • Of people 40+, 2.9M have some degree of vision impairment, not including blindness.

Recognizing the symptoms of low vision early and taking the proper actions may help preserve sight and in some cases, can lessen the advance of low vision.

Dr. Fischer highlighted four reasons specifically that are challenges for low vision sufferers.

Access—Low vision progresses slowly. The ultimate goal for low vision patients and their doctors is to detect low vision early in order to maintain remaining sight and prevent further deterioration in vision. Scheduling a regular visit to an eye care provider is an important step in maintaining eye health. If you know someone who needs transportation to or from the eye exam, help him/her find a way to get there. Second, who’s going to pay/cover services? Medicare doesn’t cover all vision care; however, it does cover certain types of therapy including vision rehabilitation. Having access to an eye care provider or vision rehabilitation specialist will help restore and maintain the independence that is so important to older individuals today.

Awareness— Eye care providers don’t always spend time on a low vision assessment. It is important for individuals to explain any vision changes to their eye care provider and to ask for a low vision assessment if their symptoms are representative of low vision. Look out for elderly family, friends and neighbors who might be experiencing some of the signs of low vision and help them know that low vision exams exist and can help them with their vision concerns.

Availability— Not every eye care provider is a low vision specialist. Eye care providers will be able to recognize low vision symptoms, and if they are not able to do an assessment, they should be able to refer their patients to a specialist. Signs of low vision are broader than presbyopia (the need for reading glasses in order to focus on near objects) and include:

  • Areas of blurred or distorted vision or spots and blotches in vision
  • Shadowed or darkened field of view or noticeable loss of peripheral vision
  • A gradual loss of central vision
  • Cloudy and blurred vision or exaggerated “halos” around bright lights
  • Blind spots in your field of view

Acceptance–It is difficult for a person of any age to admit that his or her vision is deteriorating. Eye patients are often looking for a “cure” for their low vision—such as a stronger glasses prescription or a medical solution. Low vision patients need the appropriate counsel and the comfort of knowing that with vision rehabilitation and low vision devices, most people can remain independent for many years.

To get started on the search for a low vision specialist, start here on www.whatislowvision.org by clicking on ‘Find a Low Vision Specialist.’

 

May is Healthy Vision Month

Posted on: May 10th, 2013 by lowvision

Your eyes are the windows to your health. Did you know that your eye care professional—through an eye exam— can observe blood vessels that show whether or not someone has diabetes, high blood pressure or small blood clots, has heart disease, might have had a stroke, and even some signs of some types of cancer?

This is why a comprehensive eye exam is important when you discover changes in your vision. If you are over the age of 60, an eye exam can help to determine the cause of your low vision. Low vision is a big problem with little awareness—currently, more than 2.9 million Americans suffer from low vision; it is most prevalent in people age 60+.

Low vision is a condition often coupled with a diagnosis of an aging eye disease—such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, cataracts –or other systemic and neurological diseases. With early diagnosis and treatment, many cases of low vision can be tremendously slowed or stopped in their tracks.

Individuals, their family, and friends should take notice when any vision loss begins to interfere with activities of daily living (ADLs)—cooking, driving, recognizing faces. Or if these individuals stop participating in a hobby—reading, knitting, crosswords—that they once loved due to a lowered ability caused by progressive loss of vision.

Whatever the level of decline, individuals with low vision can be helped to make the most use of their remaining vision, which leads to improving their quality of life, increased socialization, and even prolonged life span through vision rehabilitation and use of low vision devices (hi tech magnifiers).

So take some time during the month of May to evaluate your vision. If you find that it is changing, schedule an eye exam—your health depends on it.

For more information on Healthy Vision Month, dilated eye exams, or the National Eye Institute, visit http://www.nei.nih.gov/healthyeyes/.

 

Welcome to the launch of the Low Vision Blog

Posted on: December 11th, 2012 by lowvision

Welcome to our low vision blog! We hope to bring you accounts of people living with low vision, their strategies, coping mechanisms and success stories. Although low vision cannot be reversed, with healthy practices and conscious effort, living with low vision can be fulfilling and satisfying. You can regain independence and confidence that you may have lost with your diagnosis.

Enjoy this website! If you or someone you care for has a story about living with low vision, please share it with us.

Wishing you well,

Erin Hildreth
The Vision Council