Macular Degeneration Low Vision Treatment

(800) 756-0677

www.LowVisionEyeglasses.com

Cheshire - Danbury - Farmington - Litchfield

Manchester - Norwalk - Waterford

Dr. Randolph Kinkade, a low vision optometrist with a Master of Public Health degree reports age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common form of permanent vision loss in older adults.  Dr. Kinkade and the National Eye Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health, know the prevalence of AMD will increase with our aging population. 

 



Dry AMD

Wet AMD




With the baby boomers moving into the macular degeneration age group it is estimated that there will be 3 million people with AMD by the year 2020 in the United States.



 

“Macular degeneration is a progressive condition that destroys the macula in back of the eye,” said Dr. Kinkade.  “It usually progress slowly in most individuals with minimal vision loss for years while in others it can appear to dramatically destroy eyesight overnight.” 

The vision loss can make it difficult to read, write or drive a car.  Daily activities (i.e., cooking, sewing, bill paying) and recreational activities (i.e., card playing, knitting, painting) become challenging for some and difficult or impossible for others.

From a Public Health stand point, macular degeneration is most likely caused by a complex set of aging, genetic and environmental factors,” said Dr. Kinkade.  Vitamin and antioxidant therapy appears to slow down the progress in some individuals.  Telescopic, high-power prismatic lenses and E-scoop lenses are usually beneficial.

AMD alters your central vision and leaves your side or peripheral vision unaltered.  So despite the vision loss, AMD does not cause complete blindness allowing individuals to walk and see where you are going. 

 

Simulated Central Scotoma

 

“The macula is part of the central retina in the back of the eye and is made up of millions of light-sensitive cells that give sharp, detailed central vision,” said Dr. Kinkade.  “The retina is responsible for converting light energy into electrical energy and sending the information via the optic nerve to the brain.  The eye can be considered to be an extension of the brain.”

When the macula is damaged fine detailed vision is lost and images in the brain are no longer clear.  Individuals can see, but the fine points in your vision are missing.

 

 

In the early stages of AMD vision becomes slightly unclear and reading can become challenging.  With moderate advancement, distortion and blank spots appear in your central vision and reading becomes significantly more difficult without the use of magnification.  Faces and television are no longer clear.  With the advanced stage of the disease individuals require low vision rehabilitation to resume many visually-guided daily activities. 

There is no cure for AMD, but its progression can be slow with vitamins and nutritional supplements.  Medical treatment is available to curb the progression in the “wet” form of AMD with eye injections.  There is no medical treatment for the “dry” form.

Dr. Kinkade describes the term “Low Vision” as the level of permanent vision loss that significantly impairs the ability of individuals to see when there is no treatment by medicine, surgery or regular eyeglasses.

Low Vision Rehabilitation offers good news to those with low vision caused by AMD.   With the use of proper magnification, enhanced illumination and high-contrast materials vision can be improved.

Dr. Randolph Kinkade Fitting Bioptic Telescopic Glasses

“If you remember that if the eye is part of the brain you can relearn to see,” said Dr. Kinkade.

Dr. Kinkade has been treating the low vision rehabilitation needs of patients with AMD for over 30 years.  He continues to study the causes and treatment of macular degeneration from a medical, rehabilitative and public health point of view.  

 

(800) 756-0677
www.LowVisionEyeglasses.com
DrKinkade@SeeandHearAmerica.com
Cheshire - Danbury - Farmington - Litchfield - Manchester - Norwalk - Waterford