Macular Degeneration and the Use of Glasses with Telescopes 0

Use of Glasses with Telescopes

The process of adjusting to the effects of macular degeneration can be a frustrating one. People with glasses often have a difficult time adapting to their constantly worsening eye conditions because their glasses do not function as well as they used to. Since the macula itself is damaged, the image that people with macular degeneration see is going to be blurry no matter how many times they update their eyeglass prescription. Standard eyeglass lenses are simply constructed with the purpose of focusing light onto the retina, which does not resolve the issue of a deteriorating retina.

The Advantages of Telescopic Lenses

One way to maneuver around the vision problems of macular degeneration is to enhance the type of lens used. Scientists have used the age-old concepts of binoculars and telescopes to help people see better by enlarging the size of what they see. People have been using this technique to aid their ability to see objects that are far away and to see miniscule things more clearly.

Eye doctors have decided to try considering this idea in the context of macular degeneration and other eye diseases in order to facilitate image visualization. Just as people have used telescopic lenses to see fine details, people may now use telescopic glasses to assist their low vision and be able to see far away objects much better than before. People with macular degeneration can utilize telescopic glasses to improve the visual aspect of watching sports and plays, as well as looking at the small font of computer screens, books, and other important documents. Telescopic lenses can even be used to assist in driving!

Telescopic glasses are made up of a tiny telescope mounted inside the lenses of eyeglasses. They are between half an inch to three inches thick. Larger sizes generally indicate increased power. An excellent quality is that the telescope can be incorporated into the normal glasses prescription and adjusted according to daily needs. Adding telescopes to glasses can improve vision at normal distances and can even help people see things far away in just the way binoculars can.

Another benefit of adding telescopic lenses to glasses is that they can legally be used for driving in most places. After a specialized exam and training, people with macular degeneration can use glasses with telescopes to drive around like before. Being able to see clearly is a basic physical necessity that plays a significant role in daily living and social interactions. In that sense, telescopic lenses can help to improve the quality of life for people facing eye complications.  

The Disadvantages of Telescopic Lenses

The gaping disadvantage of using telescopic glasses is their physical appearance. Unlike standard prescription glasses that use a single lens, telescopic glasses demand several lenses to be mounted just over the eye. People with low vision usually only need one telescope mounted in order to improve vision. In addition, there are different sizes and types of telescopes needed depending on the extent of eye deterioration. Some lenses increase magnification, while others are used to widen the field of view. Have you ever been prescribed a telescope for distance or near viewing?

One Love,

Dr. Travis Zigler

Low Vision Aids to Help with Late Stage Macular Degeneration 0

Macular degeneration currently has no medical treatment that reverses its effects, but there are ways you can slow it down during the early stages. For those for whom the disease has progressed into a later stage and who are dealing with low vision, there are some devices that can amplify remaining vision.

Magnification

All of the devices used now are based on some form of magnification. Since the central field of vision is lost with macular degeneration, magnification extends images outward from that lost central vision, making it possible to see more of what is in front than would be possible without these aids. The problem comes from each device being made for specific tasks. Reading, driving, and watching television all require a different type of magnification.

How a specialist helps

One of the first things a specialist will do is find out the most important needs of the patient. A researcher who seldom ventures away from home or who doesn’t drive would be more focused on aids to make reading and computer work easier. An adventurer, who only reads to figure out how to get from point A to point B would look for another type of device.

Next, the eye doctor will determine how much vision has been lost already. And finally, they will design a device for the person with low vision creating the right amount of magnification for the most necessary tasks to aid the person with low vision.

Types of devices

Telescopic low vision devices help with distances – near and far aids are made specifically for the wearer. These could be made to help one or both eyes depending on the needs of the patient and can help with identifying faces and facial expressions, reading, walking, playing cards, and watching television.

E-Scoop low vision glasses are considered a simplified version of telescopic low vision devices, though the E-Scoop glasses are actually very sophisticated and enhance vision significantly. They transfer images as they hit the eye to the healthy area(s) of the macula. Using these glasses, some have been able to pass their DMV driving test without problems. Others with more severe vision loss may require a telescope to pass their test and drive safely.

Microscopic low vision magnifiers make everything bigger, especially print for reading. The amount of magnification depends on the needs of the patient, and the magnifying portion of a lens is combined with the patient’s prescription lenses. They can be used for either one or both eyes. These are the best resort for patients who have run out of other options.

For those who have approximately the same amount of remaining vision in both eyes, prismatic low-vision readers afford a higher amount of magnification than can usually be found in reading glasses. A specialty eyewear lab is required to make these because most do not have the equipment to make them.

In 2010 the FDA approved another device known as the implantable miniature telescope (IMT) for those with end-stage age-related macular degeneration. This implant helps visual acuity by reducing the central “blind spot” of the patient. The implant is a telescope that is about the size of a pea. The procedure is surgical, and the natural lens is removed and replaced with the IMT in the eye capsule. After surgery, as light enters the eye, images are enlarged at three times magnification. This does not repair the damage already done; it’s purpose is to enlarge the remaining field of vision.

Have you tried any magnifiers to improve your vision? Let us know what worked best for you!

One Love,

Dr. Travis Zigler

SOURCES: http://lowvisionlosangeles.com/macular-degeneration/

http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/amd.htm

http://www.visionaware.org/info/your-eye-condition/age-related-macular-degeneration-amd/new-fda-approved-implantable-telescope-for-end-stage-amd/125

Are Injections For Macular Degeneration Painful? 2

There are currently no treatments for macular degeneration that completely cure the disease or even stop its progression. Research in recent years has discovered various ways to slow inevitable vision loss and, although rarely, improve vision in particular areas. Several types of treatment include laser treatment, combinations of medicines, and injection. Concerns about injections for macular degeneration being painful should be eased since they are regarded as straightforward and painless. Several injection-based treatments are detailed below.

Visudyne

Visudyne drug treatment is a photodynamic therapy that was the first drug therapy ever approved for the treatment of the wet form of macular degeneration. It is designated exclusively for people who have what is called a “predominantly classic” growth pattern of new blood vessels directly under the retina. An area of the arm is numbed with a painkiller after which the drug is delivered via a painless injection. Once the drug reaches the newly growing blood vessels under the retina, a low-energy laser beam is shone into the eye to activate the medication. Upon activation, Visudyne creates a chemical reaction that extinguishes unwanted blood vessels in the eye. Both the injection and the laser are considered virtually painless.

Visudyne diminishes the symptoms of wet macular degeneration and slows down the development of legal blindness in many patients. This laser-activated drug can also be administered along with other treatments, including Lucentis or Avastin.

Lucentis

Lucentis is actually an altered form of the colorectal cancer treatment drug Avastin. Lucentis has more recently been FDA approved as a way to treat advanced stages of the wet form of macular degeneration. In advanced stages of macular degeneration, there is an overgrowth of abnormal blood vessels triggered by a compound called vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF for short. The way Lucentis functions is by blocking VEGF proteins and thus preventing them from growing unnecessary blood vessels in the retina.

Most of the research surrounding Lucentis shows that it has a mostly positive effect. It was beneficial in improving, or at least stabilizing, the vision of nearly all of the people who took it. By limiting VEGF, many Lucentis users experienced improvements in vision, whereas the majority of other treatments simply stop macular degeneration from getting worse.

The way Lucentis is given is through an injection directly into the eye at monthly intervals (or as directed by your retinal specialist). Although the actual injection is considered to be painless, there have been scenarios were adverse reactions took place, such as eye inflammation, elevated eye pressure, and cataracts due to trauma. Continuing studies are required in order to fully explain the implications and side effects of taking Lucentis as an eye injection, but it is considered very safe and effective.

Macugen and Eylea

Macugen and Eylea, like Lucentis, are other forms of eye injection treatment. They both act similarly in that they attempt to stop VEGF from creating more hazardous blood vessels in the retina. Whereas Macugen is given every six weeks, Eylea is only needed once every other month (at the discretion of your doctor). Have you experienced any of the above procedures? Did they work for you?

One Love,

Dr. Travis Zigler