OE Patients

Tag: vision rehabilitation

  • Don’t Allow Vision Loss to Affect Your Cognition

    Don’t Allow Vision Loss to Affect Your Cognition

    It is often said that vision loss affects your eyes, not your brain. We know many capable people who continued to thrive in their personal and professional lives despite the added challenges of severe vision impairment or blindness. We want to believe our brains will hold up against the  inevitable injury that occurs with a loss of sight. On the other hand, Jane Brody writes, “if the brain has to work extra hard to make sense of what our eyes see, it can take a toll on cognitive function.”

    The news was reported in the Personal Health column of the NY Times, based on findings from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. The research followed 1,200 women and men, age 60 to 94,  and involved both vision and cognitive testing. Participants with ophthalmic issues including poor visual acuity, depth perception and low contrast, were also more likely to show cognitive decline over the course. The information is not exactly uplifting, but delivered in that quintessentially Jane Brody kind of way, it was bad news followed by good news. That’s right, there is something we can do about it. Like many other factors involving health and aging, this too is all about the steps we take to keep our brains fit. It very much depends on how we deal with it.

    Preventing cognitive decline related to vision loss is within our grasp. Vision loss that goes unaddressed often results in a decrease in physical and social activity, which adds to the decline in brain power. Here are steps recommended to maintain mental sharpness with changing eyesight and age:

    • Get annual eye exams, to identify problems early that can be corrected or addressed before they contribute to mental decline
    • Uncorrectable vision loss, or low vision, can be helped by vision rehabilitation, which includes evaluation, counseling and training that helps visually impaired people compensate and adjust
    • Don’t wait until a visual impairment begins to adversely impact daily function, start adjusting early
    • If the doctor says nothing can be done to medically treat the vision problem, that does not mean there is nothing you can do to improve your quality of life
    • Maintain a strong social connection to friends and family
    • Making adjustments in our home and work environment can significantly improve daily function, productivity and confidence

    Cognitive decline is an eye opener, bringing a new sense of urgency to coping with vision loss. Jane Brody’s message is one advanced by OE Patients everyday. Find more OE links below to more helpful content relating to this topic:

    In the Know About Low Vision

    10 Things to Know About iPhone for Vision

    Your Smartphone is a Comprehensive Low Vision Device

    OE Agrees with AAO

    Making Excuses, Breaking Excuses

    Nate’s Low Vision Makeover

    6 Ways to Keep Your Mind Young

  • 8 Ways to Practice Eccentric Viewing

    8 Ways to Practice Eccentric Viewing

    Macular diseases cause uncorrectable impairment of the central vision. In time, as the disease progresses, the patient’s ability to see what is in the direct line of sight becomes more and more tenuous.  At this point, the best way to see what has disappeared in the center of your visual field is simply to look away.  Now you will see it, not in the center, but in the peripheral vision. Also known as eccentric viewing (EV), this visual work-around can be easily practiced, and learned, to compensate for the scotoma or blind spot.

    Practice these exercises to maximize remaining peripheral sight:

    • Look at an object straight on, then avert your eyes left, right, up, down, and around. Find the spot where you see best in your peripheral field, known by professionals as the PRL – preferred retinal locus.  Move just your eyes, not your head.
    • Look into the silverware drawer and the utensils have no clear definition, look away and forks, knives, spoons become more apparent. Repeat this exercise in the medicine cabinet, desk drawer, and coat closet too.
    • Get into the habit of scanning left to right to see what’s in front when walking in the street. Avert your eyes to identify lights on crosswalks and be aware of the movement of traffic in your side vision.
    • Use your peripheral vision to identify signage at eye level, for example: restrooms, room numbers, office signs, doors in & out, etc.
    • When facing someone, glance away to better see their facial features in your peripheral field.
    • Try eccentric viewing while watching TV, close up, or at a distance.
    • Avert your eyes as you enter a room to get a better view of the layout, the furniture, and any obstacles in your path.
    • Experience more vivid color perception of clothing, home furnishings,  while taking a walk in nature or looking at a bouquet of flowers.

    Test your peripheral vision in all daily activities and discover where it helps most. Practice every day, learning requires repetition. In just a few days you will begin to develop the new habit, in a few weeks it will become second nature. For many macula patients adjusting the view eccentrically provides a significant boost to visual function. If it does not come with some ease, consult a Low Vision Rehab Therapist for specialized training.

  • Communicate Better with Your Doctor

    Communicate Better with Your Doctor

    A visit to your eye doctor can come and go in a blur. Discussing a loss of sight is a dreadful thought — however, avoiding it will not yield positive results either. Time with the ophthalmologist may be brief, so it is important to be prepared and engaged. Considering these steps, before every appointment, will help you be an informed patient.

    • If you do not understand something the doctor says, or the terminology used, feel free to say, “I don’t understand, please explain.” Don’t be afraid to speak up.
    • Summarize back what you heard, to clarify your understanding. “So you are telling me that age-related macular degeneration will make me blind?” The doctor responds, “No, I am saying that there will be some loss of your central vision, possibly to the level of legal blindness, but macular degeneration does not cause total blindness.”
    • Request written materials, or even pictures or videos that you can take time to understand and absorb at home.
    • Ask about best-case and worst-case scenarios, and what is the most-likely scenario for you?

     

    Image of ophthalmology office activity.
    • Write your questions and bring someone with you as an advocate, to read the questions on your behalf, and to take notes.
    • If treatment is available, understand the risks involved. “Can injections in the eye cause glaucoma?” 
    • Ask if there is someone you can talk to, who is living with the condition, or has received the treatment.
    • If treatment is not available, ask for alternative therapies or lifestyle changes that may help your longterm prognosis and quality of life. Don’t accept “nothing can be done” for an answer.
    • If you are told nothing can be done to improve your vision, ask your ophthalmologist for information and resources to help you live successfully with vision loss, including referral to a low vision specialist and vision rehabilitation services.

    It is crucial to be an Informed Patient when considering treatment or potential participation in a clinical trial. Clearly review, discuss and weigh the possible benefits against the risks. Consent forms are often many pages of medical and legal jargon — challenging for anyone to read, but especially hard with a visual impairment. Do not sign or agree to anything you have not read and understood completely.

     

  • OE Agrees With AAO Advice

    OE Agrees With AAO Advice

    With a nod to Healthy Aging Month, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) published a series of tips for living better with low vision.  They point out that the number of older Americans with low vision will likely double by 2050.  The leading causes of low vision, a visual impairment that cannot be corrected by lenses or medical treatment, are age-related macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, glaucoma and inherited retinal diseases.  To add insult to injury, most people with declining vision believe that nothing can be done to help them.

    We are pleased to stand in agreement with AAO’s recommendations for maintaining a productive and independent life in the face of vision loss.  Subscribers to OEPatients.org are ahead of the curve and already aware and implementing the small changes that keep them actively engaged.  Let’s walk together through an overview of how their tips concur with our content.

     

    • Improve Contrast

    Utilize contrasting colors throughout the home to improve clarity in table settings, kitchen tools and surfaces, furnishings, door frames and steps. 

    OE:  Nate’s Low Vision Makeover

    OE:  Adjusting Your Home For Vision Loss

     

    • Prevent Falls, Improve Lighting

    Add lighting to hallways and staircases, task lighting in the kitchen and work places.

    OE:  Don’t Take The Fall, Prevent It

    OE:  Home Safety & Light Checkup

     

    • Reduce Clutter & Organize

    Essential to safety and sanity, keep things in their appropriate places and don’t be a collector.

    OE:  Low Vision Awareness: Time To Get Organized

    OE:  Spring Cleaning Gives More Than It Takes

     

    Headphone on a side stack of books.
    Headphone on a side stack of books.
    • Embrace Technology

    Audiobooks and voice assistants like Alexa & Google are enormously helpful and easy to adopt.

    OE:  Get Back The Joy Of Reading With NLS

    OE:  Alexa, Read My Book

    OE:  Event Recap: Siri, Google & Alexa

     

    Man using IrisVision technology.
    • See Ophthalmologist & Low Vision Specialist

    The doctors can help patients maximize remaining vision.

    OE:  Event Recap: Electronic Glasses

    OE:  Magnifiers Are A Must

    OE:  Be An Informed Patient

     

    • Vision Rehab

    Often this suggestion comes as a last resort for patients with advanced vision loss.  It usually requires legal blindness to qualify for vision rehabilitation services, but it is most effective when included early in the process.  Making incremental changes at every stage helps to dramatically ease the adjustment. Attempting to recover once the vision loss is severe, is far more difficult. 

    AAO:  Low Vision Rehabilitation Services

     

    Read the AAO News Release that inspired our post:

    More Older Americans Will Suffer From Low Vision,Here’s How to Make Life Easier and Safer

    Happy senior friends drinking tea at a table.