Betsy Graham of Baily, NC thought that her driving days were over. “I could not read the street signs soon enough and I couldn’t pass the vision test at the DMV office.”
Bill Henderson of Belhaven, NC wanted to be able to read and write more easily. He wanted to see the nails and screws when he tried to use them in home repairs. He wanted to recognize people’s faces and see his grandchildren singing in the church choir. But he thought those days were over when he was diagnosed with macular degeneration.
Neither Besty nor Bill knew that a low vision optometrist could help with some of those issues.
In some states, telescopic glasses can be used to pass the vision test for driving. This can allow some with conditions like macular degeneration to continue driving.
“Amazing!” says Betsy. “I can read the street signs twice as far as I did before. I can now drive to work, to the supermarket, and even see the television better … I have my independence back!” In Betsy’s case, we also provided special reading glasses to make the newspaper a little easier to read.
Macular Degeneration is the most common eye disease amongst the senior population. As many as 25% of those over the age of 65 have some degree of degeneration. The macula is one small part of the entire retina, but it is the most sensitive and gives us sharp images.
When it degenerates, macular degeneration leaves a blind spot right in the center of vision making it difficult to recognize faces, watch TV, read a book, or pass the drivers vision test.
Major risk factors for macular degeneration include aging, smoking, and improper nutrition.
Vitamins can help. The results of two studies, AREDS and LAST demonstrated a lowered risk of progression by about 25% when treated with a high-dose combination of vitamins and lutein, a plant pigment derived from the marigold flower. Recent studies have also indicated that increased consumption of fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids may slow progression of the disease.
Nine out of ten people who have macular degeneration have the dry type. The wet type is more aggressive and results in more dramatic vision loss. It involves leaky blood vessels that can sometimes be remedied with new injectable medications, such as Macugen and Lucentis.
A low vision evaluation is for anyone who, even with regular eyeglasses, cannot see well enough to do what they want to do. While most patients who consult with a low vision optometrist have macular degeneration, help is also available for patients with diabetic retinopathy, inoperable cataracts, glaucoma, and retinitis pigmentosa.
Dr. Edward Paul Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr_Edward_Paul |
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