February is AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month

AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month is a campaign that was started to raise awareness for macular degeneration and other vision problems. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss and it affects over 15 million adults over the age of 50. During this awareness campaign, information on the eye disease warning signs and treatment options are presented.

This year's campaign slogan is "Don't Lose Sight" and actress Jane Seymour is the spokesperson for the Prevent Blindness America site and the AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month. Jane Seymour has experience with macular degeneration, as her mother suffers from it. Jane's mother, who is 92 years old, has suffered from macular degeneration for more than two decades. As a result of seeing her own mother struggle from vision loss, Seymour is committed to this campaign.

A recent study that was conducted by Prevent Blindness America found that while 96% of people believe that good vision is crucial to ones overall quality of life, only 60% of these Americans are aware of macular degeneration or that the illness causes vision loss.

Macular degeneration can develop so slowly that it's not until the vision is getting severely bad that the patient will notice. What happens when someone gets macular degeneration is their sharp, central vision is destroyed.

Macular Degeneration Risk Factors

Some of the risk factors for macular degeneration include age, heredity, smoking, and poor nutrition. Important nutrients needed for good eye health are omega-3 and lutein, but these are typically not found in even the healthiest of diets. Prevent Blindness America recommends supplements with these nutrients need to be taken to keep vision sharp.

There is no cure for macular degeneration so having regularly scheduled eye appointment is crucial to eye health.

Low Vision

When someone describes their vision as "low vision" this means that they have partial sight and their sight is not corrected by contact lenses or glasses. Their vision is still considered functional, but their daily life and activity levels are affected by it. Some diseases or eye injuries that can cause low vision include glaucoma, cataracts, or diabetic retinopathy.

Coping With Macular Degeneration and Low Vision

When you stop and think about how much we depend on our sight, I can see where it would be hard to deal with the loss of it. It has to be extremely difficult for these people and with most of them being elderly that can make it even harder.

There is hope and help available and there are tools and devices available to give these sufferers some sense of normalcy.

Optical aides include microscopes, telescopes, magnifiers, and electronic magnifiers.

High-tech aides include closed-caption television and reading machines.

Non-optical aides include signature guides, large print, and audio CDs.

Braille and talking book library services, vocational rehabilitation services, and independent living services are all available to aid those with vision loss as well.