Low Vision and the Seasoned Citizen

Our older friends & relatives are entering a new and difficult season of life. A season that brings several new challenges. One challenge is the Loss of Vision brought on by one of 4 common causes.


The most common cause is Age Related Macular Degeneration or ARMD. ARMD results in loss of or impaired central vision. Macular degeneration causes blurred, distorted or dimmed vision and may cause a blind spot.


Another common cause of low vision is Glaucoma. Glaucoma is a progressive condition involving pressure and build-up of excess fluid in the eye. Glaucoma first impairs peripheral vision so that the world appears to be viewed through a tunnel.


Among many elderly Cataracts are a source of vision loss. Cataracts is a condition where one or both lenses which are normally clear, becomes cloudy.The condition develops slowly until vision becomes blurry and colors fade. Surgical removal is a very common and effective treatment.


Diabetic Retinopathy is another condition resulting from the damaging effects of diabetes. Inadequate circulation to the retina leads to changes in the tiny blood vessels and vision loss. Symptoms include blurriness,increased sensitivity to light or glare,changes in color vision and clouding of the vitreous.


There are many tools, gadgets and software to help those with low vision manage their daily life, When guiding an elderly person through choosing the best solutions, keep in mind that most people don’t like change and don’t want to admit they need help. So be sure to take extra time in choosing the right product.


Optical Devices for those with low vision may include: magnifiers, telescopes, prisms, monoculars, binoculars, microscopes,
closed circuit televisions and computers.


Hand held magnifiers are the easiest to use and the most cost effective.
When choosing a hand held magnifier be sure to start with the most powerful magnification and work your way down and since most of the causes of vision loss among the elderly include dimness of light, chose a magnifier that has a built in LED light. Hand held magnifiers are great because they are portable and can be used for many tasks, such as reading a menu at a restaurant or looking at a cellular phone keypad.


There are many computer programs to magnify the computer screen, but since most seniors don't have a computer, we'll discuss software in a future blog.


Let's look at another effective low vision device: Closed Circut TV or CCTV. CCTV's are specially designed to enlarge printed material for people who have low vision and can no longer comfortably use glasses or special lenses to read regular size print. CCTV's use a video camera that focuses on the printed page. The print is then enlarged and displayed on a monitor.


Most CCTV's have a bright downward facing light and the ability to change the contrast from black letters on a white page to white letters on a black page and several other color variations that are easily adjustable by the user.


CCTV's are useful in reading the mail, a prescription bottle label, read a phone number and looking at a picture and reading a book or newspaper. CCTV's are a HUGE help to those with low vision to continue to perform their normal daily functions.


If you'd like more information on Low Vision Devices or would like a personal demonstration. Contacet James Christy the Low Vision Specialist at 949-336-2611 or by email James@JamesChristy.com


Sight is a Gift