Macular degeneration devices are by no means a cure for this condition (which is usually age-related and irreverisble). However, these types of low vision aids can help those with such vision problems by enabling them to optimize what eyesight remains. These low vision products and macular degeneration devices include magnifiers and bifocal and telescopic lenses.
low vision specialists tell us that macular degeneration usually affects the elderly; however, there are people who have a genetic predisposition to this condition and may suffer from it at an earlier age. Located in the central portion of the retina, the macula can deteriorate – shrivel, develop holes or bleed – over time. The major vision problems that occur as a result is reduced ability to see close-up details.
Detecting early macular degeneration is important in determining what low vision products are best for a particular patient. Low vision specialists may reccommend telescopic lenses, which are actually miniature telescopes that are attached to a pair of spectacles. These are only one of the several types of magnifiers available. Other low vision aids are bifocals, which allow the patient to change his/her field of vision by focusing through a different part of the lens. These are but two of the many macular degeneration devices available on the market today.
Other low vision aids include special magnifiers that can be placed in front of computer screens for those who spend any amount of time online or working behind a computer. Depending on the stage or severity of the condition, low vision specialists may also reccomend macular degeneration devices that consist of “text-to-speech” software; what was science fiction forty years ago is now reality, as those suffering from vision problems can actually speak to their computers and have those words turned into readable text.
Among the more useful macular degeneration devices on the market is one that takes old technology and uses it in new ways. Television was actually invented during the 1920s and has been commonly available since the late 1940s; using closed circuit TV cameras to focus on printed text and project a large image up on a television screen as enabled those suffering from macular degeneration to enjoy the printed word once again.
For such macular degeneration devices to have the greatest level of effectiveness however, detecting early macular degeneration is vital. The condition cannot be cured nor reversed; however, progression of the disease can be slowed considerably if caught in time – and macular degeneration devices can optimize the patient’s remaining vision, allowing him/her to continue enjoying the same everyday activities as before.