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It is predicted that by 2020 over 2,250,000 will register with some variety of sight loss. This is a shocking statistic; Vision loss is difficult to imagine until it happens and it can be hard to find solutions or workarounds.

AMD sufferers to hit 288 million

For many people their sight loss is down to a condition known as Age-related Macular Degeneration, or AMD. By 2020, the number of people living with AMD in the UK is estimated to increase to over 750,000. The number of people worldwide is expected to reach 196 million by 2020, increasing to 288 million by 2040. AMD is a condition that comes from deterioration, deriving from a breakdown of the macula which is a small area in the back, or retina, of the eye. This area has an important function in that it sees fine details clearly and allows us to perform activities that require precision. Anything that traumatises or damages the macula will affect your central vision.

Imagine seeing a painting but only the frame is visible

The result is that the central vision will become blurred, there will be dark areas and distortion. The periphery can remain; imagine seeing a painting but only the frame is visible. Because of this, it can be difficult to do activities like reading, driving, cooking and texting to name but a few. In the end stages the condition can make recognising a face difficult or impossible. The condition is also associated with increased cases of stress and depression as the eyes deteriorate.

The symptoms can be hardly noticeable, particularly as it can happen in one eye first, only becoming apparent when the other eye is afflicted. At this point the loss of central vision is apparent very quickly, words on a page become blurred, a dark and empty area appears in the centre of your vision or straight lines look warped or distorted. These are all indicators that you may have developed AMD and should go for an eye test.

Affecting nearly 30% of those over 75

AMD presents in two forms; the most common type is dry AMD which afflicts about 90% of sufferers and results from ageing and thinning of the tissues in the macula, the loss of vision is gradual. The other type, wet AMD, is due to abnormalities in the blood vessels underneath the retina in the back of the eye. The blood vessels leak or have trauma and therefore the vision loss is severe and rapid.

Age is a prominent risk factor for age-related macular degeneration. The risk of getting advanced age-related macular degeneration increases from 2% for those ages 50-59, to nearly 30% for those over the age of 75. A family history of this can be a factor, particularly if diagnosed at a young age. In terms of gender, women are more likely to get the condition but this could be down to life expectancy. Recent data has shown that smokers, and ex-smokers, are up to 4 times more likely to contract AMD.

Magnifying a solution

Living with AMD is hard as both types damage your central vision, but there are solutions to help ease the situation. A technique known as eccentric viewing can encourage your peripheral vision when it comes to reading. Larger print, better lighting and higher contrasting colours can also help.

In order to assist those suffering with AMD, at IntelliSight we stock the Eschenbach SmartLux Digital Magnifier. This subtle yet powerful mobile phone-shaped device offers variable levels of magnification, takes photos to allow users to zoom in and see more detail and offers increased contrast options between black, white and yellow. These three colours arent chosen at random; many AMD sufferers report that yellow background or text is easier to see than just plain black and white.

Were here to help. If you want to book an eye test, hear more about viewing aids, or have questions about AMD, then contact our friendly team on 01642 450 982 or visit us at High Street, Redcar just look for the black and orange store.

Excerpt from:
Digital magnifiers - a sight for sore eyes? - Bdaily

This entry was posted on June 30, 2017 at 12:47 am and is filed under Eye Sight & Vision. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |