I love to read so to me vision is the most crucial of all
senses. Being able to see determines how
well you can function in your daily
life. When your vision is less than
perfect, your health and well being can suffer greatly.
Dr. Jennifer S. Weizer, M.D.
in her excellent book “Reader’s Digest Guide to Eye Care,” assures us that
aging in and of itself does not automatically make your vision worse. It is the diseases that occur more commonly
as you age that are the culprits. Often
diseases that affect the rest of your body can involve your eyes. If you have medical problems that threatens
your vision you need work closely with your primary physician and your eye
doctor to stay on top of things.
Many of us have less than
perfect vision. Perhaps you are one of
the lucky ones, but even so, it is very likely that you have friends and/or
family members who have learned to live with imperfect vision. Even with the best possible treatments, not
all vision loss can be prevented. The field of low vision has been developed
to help people who live with imperfect vision.
Research and technology are working hard to help people make the most of
the vision that they do have.
Low vision is defined at
vision of 20/70 or worse in the better eye while being legally blind falls in
the 20/200 category. People who are
legally blind or have low vision often have some useful vision. A low vision specialist can help them make the most of the vision that they
have in order to preserve their independence.
Low vision specialists are eye care providers who focus on treatment
options for less than perfect vision.
Some low vision specialists work with occupational therapists that are
trained to help you adapt your home
and your activities to your level of vision.
As technology advances, more
and more user friendly optical aid
devices are coming on to the market.
Many of the devices use electronics to magnify objects. No single device will work for everyone, so
it is advisable to work with a low vision specialist to try the device out to
see if it will work for you.
A few examples of low vision
devices:
·
Close circuit
television systems (video camera magnifies text and projects to a large
screen).
·
Extra strong
bifocal glasses
·
Headworn
electronic magnifiers (a visor that is worn over the eyes that has a camera
that magnifies objects and projects images to the inside of the goggles).
·
Large screen or
talking glucose monitors
·
Various
magnifying glasses
·
Mobile phone
organizer (cell phone with large buttons and voice-activated functions to make
calls, access Internet and take notes).
·
Portable
hand-held electronic magnifiers (tiny video camera that magnifies text and
projects on a screen).
·
Screen magnifier
(a computer software program that magnifies what is on a computer screen).
·
Screen reader
(computer software reads computer text aloud).
·
Voice-response
computer (a special computer that uses voice recognition to allow you to browse
the internet).
·
Wearable
telescopes (telescopic lenses added to a section of the distance lenses on a
pair of glasses).
Because
reading is such an important part of life, a significant portion of low vision
services address reading difficulties.
Braille was widely used until several decades ago, but today the advent
of computer technology has given many more options. Do not give up on yourself because you feel
that your vision is failing. Life is
still good.
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