About Low Vision

There are many people who have a vision loss that is not correctable with typical eyeglasses or contact lenses. They've lost some vision and are unable to see well enough to participate in activities that are important to them. We say that these people have low vision. Eye diseases like macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, Stargardt's disease and glaucoma, among others, are common causes of low vision.
For many years there have been optometrists who help low vision patients see better so they can return to a more normal life. Special telescopic or microscopic glasses are often prescribed which help the person return to reading, driving, using a computer, participating in hobbies or crafts. Some people are able to return to work.
Most of these people have been told by their eye doctors that nothing can be done to help them. It is true that there is no cure for these diseases and the vision will not return to normal. The job of the low vision optometrist is to evaluate the person's remaining vision and prescribe appropriate glasses or other devices which magnify what is seen, making it easier to see.

Free Telephone Consultation
My practice is totally dedicated to helping low vision patients. That is all that I do. I always speak with patients before scheduling a low vision evaluation. That helps me understand how much remaining vision they have and what their goals are. I also answer questions and give the person an idea of what to expect from the evaluation and from the special glasses. I only schedule people who I can help.
Call me for a free telephone consultation. I will be happy to speak with you and I will tell you if I can help you see better. Call toll free 1 866 321-2030
I see low vision patients in offices in Roanoke, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg and Wytheville, VA.

More information at VirginiaLowVision.com and facebook.com/VirginiaLowVisionOptometrist


Monday, June 9, 2014

"I Just Want to See Better"

People with low vision want to see better. That seems simple enough. They just want to see better. Sometimes they seek out the real experts in their condition and come away disappointed and frustrated. After lots of testing, the diagnosis is confirmed but no help is offered. Worse yet, they are often told that "nothing can be done". Truth be told, the expert is probably frustrated also, They want to cure problems. Make them go away. Restore their patient's vision. Sometimes that can't be done. A lady came to me this past week who is a good example. She had experienced a hole in the macula of both eyes. Both required surgery by a retinal surgeon. One of the holes recurred and required a second surgery. Her vision was reduced, especially in the right eye. In hopes of being able to see better she went to the eye clinic at Duke University and then to the Mayo Clinic. No help was offered. One of the doctors told her "Sorry, you've lost it and it's not coming back". She returned to her opthalmologist in a small southwest Virginia town, He realized that she just wanted to see better and referred her to me. Her vision with her present glasses is about 20/100 with the right eye and 20/80 with the left. Not good enough to drive. I carefully measured the power of both eyes, found more astigmatism and corrected the right to 20/60 and the left to almost 20/25. That is good enough to drive in any state. The experts had been concentrating on accurate diagnosis and a cure. Worthy goals for sure. But, the lady just wants to see better. A change in her glasses will do that. In addition to the new lens prescription I have prescribed E Scoop glasses. That is a new type of glasses from the Netherlands. (see picture) The clip on in front of the prescription glasses sharpens vision, reduces haze, improves contrast and magnifies what is seen to a small degree. When I demonstrated them to the lady she loved the improvement in her vision. Low vision optometrists, like me, concentrate on maximizing the patient's remaining vision. We use various types of glasses that magnify and make things easier to see. We try to remember that people with low vision just want to see better. If you've had disappointment and frustration and been told that nothing can be done to help you see better, give me a call. I will be happy to discuss your vision and your goals. I'll tell you if low vision glasses will help you. There is no charge for the telephone consultation. Call me toll free 1 866 321-2030 #lowvision#macularhole