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


Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Healthy Habits Reduce Risk of Macular Degeneration

Medpage Today reports that a recent study showed the value of healthy habits in reducing the risk of developing macular degeneration.  Reported online in the Archives of Ophthalmology the study looked at diet, exersize and smoking history of 1,313 women as part of the Women's Health Initiative.  The study showed that women who exersize, eat healthy and don't smoke reduced their risk of getting macular degeneration by more than two-thirds.

There is a real message here for those who have a parent or sibling with macular degeneration.  Another study showed that persons over the age of 50 with a parent or sibling with macular degeneration have a 50% risk of developing the disease themselves.  Those people should be doing all that they can to cut their risk.  If you have a close relative with macular degeneration get some exersize, stop smoking and eat a healthy diet. 

Another thing that may reduce your risk is to use proper supplementation.  Nutritional supplements based on the Age Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) and other studies since then are a wise choice.  Ask your eye doctor what he/she recommends.  More about this in a future posting.

To read more about this study click on the link below.

MedPage Today
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