health care information

Age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, is a progressive, degernative condition of the center of the eye’s retina, which is called the macula. 90% of the time, this is caused by the thinning and shriveling of the macula, where the ganglia of the optic nerves for central vision are located. This type of macular degeneration is very gradual, and may be preventable to a degree; if caught early by Connecticut low vision eye doctors, changes in diet and lifestyle may keep the symptoms from progressing much further.The other kind of AMD is known as the “wet” variety. This is much rarer, affecting patients in about 10% of cases. However, it is much more serious and difficult to treat by low vision doctors, as onset is rapid and symptoms progress quickly. This occurs when there is an abnormal build-up of blood vessels in the eye; the causes are believed to be genetic.Connecticut low vision specialists are ophthalmologists who have been specially trained in issues related to macular degeneration and other eye conditions. These low vision eye doctors are aware of the latest treatments and prosthetic devices that can help you in making the most of what eyesight you have remaining.For this reason, it is vital to has regular eye exams with your regular optometrist. If a serious problem is suspected, s/he will refer you to one of the many Connecticut low vision doctors in your community.Connecticut low vision doctors may recommend that you add more leafy green vegetables to your diet, such as bitter greens, spinach or kale, and increase you intake of salt-water fish and other foods high in omega-3 fatty acids.In addition to diet and supplements, low vision eye doctors can prescribe a number of devices, some of which have only recently become available. One of the most common of these are biopic glasses, which are like “bifocals on steroids;” these actually have miniature telescopes mounted on them, allowing for high magnification of objects in the central field of view. In some cases, the use of such biopic glasses even allows macular degeneration patients to resume the operation of a motor vehicle.Whether treatment, prosthesis – or most likely, both – is called for, the important thing is to get diagnosed early on, as Connecticut low vision doctors can be far more effective in treating the disease in its early stages and possibly slow its progression. If you have concerns about this, schedule an eye exam today and if necessary, you will be referred to one of the Connecticut low vision doctors practicing near your home.

Computer aids come in many shapes and sizes. They range from decidedly low-tech devices to high-tech software programs which enable low vision sufferers to do the same computer tasks as normal-sighted people. Perhaps, as a non-computer user, you simply want to scan a magazine article into your computer that the PC will then read out loud. Computer aids will help you perform this and similar non-computer tasks.

As you use the correct magnifier at the correct strength for regular reading activities, so the same low-tech vision aids which help with regular reading can also be used as a computer aid to view the computer screen. Magnifiers come in a variety of forms. There are hand magnifiers, free-standing magnifiers, some that look like mini telescopes and others that can be worn around the neck. These can be readily adapted for computer use.

Another type of magnifier which can greatly benefit someone with low vision is a screen magnifier. This is a simple hardware option that allows you to use your existing software on your computer. A relatively inexpensive option, it displays both text and images much larger and more boldly than a conventional screen.

Moving from the screen to the keyboard, there are a number of low-tech computer aids which can be very useful, especially if you are a good touch typist. Bump dots can be placed on the control, alt and delete keys which will make these frequently-used keys much easier to locate.

Similarly, the “f” and “j” keys can be highlighted with a dot or sticker making it much easier to keep your fingers correctly positioned for keyboarding. The dots and stickers provide you with a handy reference point. Many low vision sufferers use this principle for the telephone: by putting a dot or sticker on the #5, the rest of the numbers are found much more easily.

The keyboard, itself, can be a problem if you are visually impaired. New, enhanced visability keyboards are now available which can help you overcome the problem of viewing your keyboard. Often marketed as a computer aid to help counter the effects of computer vision syndrome, but equally useful for low vision sufferers, the keys are half as large again as those on conventional keyboards. They are also marked with high-contrast lettering for ease of use.

The larger keys, along with a special facility that allows a single key to open up the browser or put on an audio or video function, help make using the computer a much more comfortable experience. The availability of a wireless version makes for greater comfort still as your movements are less restricted. Used in conjunction with dots and stickers, these adapted keyboards can be a real boon for the visually impaired.

But you don’t necessarily have to incur any extra costs to make your computer more user-friendly. Many software programs, including Netscape, Firefox, Windows and Microsoft Office, allow you to enlarge text and icons.

You can customise the background and text colors as well in order to achieve high contrast color schemes best suited to your needs. Black text on a white background is generally recommended as the most vision-friendly.

However, several major software companies now manufacture high-tech computer aids. These will help you, not only to read text and recognise pictures and graphics with ease, but also to send and receive emails, create documents and surf the web. Some software also offers large-print displays of important navigation items such as the cursor location.

Many of these high-tech devices use an easily-installed program from a CD, which will first scan text from your files or emails and then read these aloud to you by a voice which sounds human and not synthetic. This conversion of text to sounds has been much improved, and problems of inaccuracy and inaudibility have largely been eliminated.

These “talking computers” represent some of the more popular computer aids. It’s easy to see why. Voice-activated computers obviate the need to type altogether, and this is a real plus for those with low vision.

The concentration needed to read the text on a computer screen is tiring, and is especially so if you have a visual impairment. As the majority of low vision sufferers are seniors, keyboarding can also be difficult with arthritic fingers.

If you have difficulty with stiff finger joints or hand cramps, but you still prefer to use a mouse, it is a good idea to try a larger one. Your hand will rest over the mouse in a more relaxed position which will alleviate any stiffness or discomfort.

The mouse can act as a computer aid in a number of additional ways. A wireless mouse will leave you less restricted for space; a central wheel will allow you to scroll up and down easily with your middle finger, and alteration of the mouse behavior settings (by clicking on the Start menu then the Control Panel and finally Mouse) will enable you to slow down aspects of the mouse operations.

There are three settings which are particularly relevant to low vision users. You can slow down the rate you double-click to open programs or folders which gives you greater precision. The pointer speed can also be slowed down enabling you to follow it more easily, and the mouse wheel can be set to scroll the page to the optimal number of lines the operator is comfortable with.

So, from simple scanning of a magazine article to creating and using spreadsheets, there is a computer aid available for low vision sufferers. With so much on offer, low vision should not mean low expectation.

How to determine low vision. When an eye patient is diagnosed with low vision , it can mean several things. However, many older patients face low vision due to the diagnosis of age related macular degeneration. Why does macular degeneration cause low vision, and what types of low vision devices are available to help those who suffer from the effects of this type of poor eyesight?

Macular refers to the portion of the retina called the macula. The macula is found in the central inner lining of the retina. This is the part of the eye where detail vision resides. Tasks such as reading, knitting, or any type of close detail work require this vital portion of the central visual range. When the macula suffers damage through bleeding, a thinning of the tissue, or even a wasting away of the tissue, macular degeneration is the name for this visual problem. When the macula is damaged, a loss of the central vision can occur. Patients can find themselves at different points on a spectrum of visual loss, from very slight all the way to complete blindness, and many points in between. Low vision is often the result of age related macular degeneration.

People most at risk for developing macular degeneration symptoms are the elderly, and those with a family history of the problem. Others have a gene that makes them at a greater risk for developing macular degeneration and its resultant low vision. It has also been found that those who have high cholesterol, are obese or have high blood pressure are also at a higher risk of developing age related macular degeneration. If you have blurred vision, or parts of your field of vision are missing, you will want to check in with your ophthalmologist in order to receive a thorough eye examination.

Although eating foods containing beta-carotene and various vitamins such as lutein and zeaxanthin can help lessen the risk of developing some of the more severe forms of age related macular degeneration, there are no cures for this visual problem. However, new drugs have been recently used to combat the low vision associated with this macular problem, and thus far have provided hopeful treatment results.

If you have low vision due to these types of changes in your macula, you will want to maximize your remaining vision so that you can use it to its fullest potential. There are different devices available that can magnify what you are trying to look at, making it easier to see. If you wish to read, you might choose glasses with a special telescopic lens attached. In this way, the tiny telescopes provide powerful magnification when you need it, yet you can also look through your regular prescription eye glass lens whenever you wish, thus changing your vision much as wearing a pair of bifocal glasses can do.

There are some great technological advances that provide a boon to those requiring visual magnification, and these tools can be of particular help to those with macular degeneration symptoms.