Category: Self care

News: Smoking Makes Your Vision Poor Shows Research

April 11, 2016

Article from India:

With a surge in eye-related diseases in India, Ophthalmologist have said smoking is emerging as one of the major reasons behind vision-loss among patients. However, only 10-20 percent people are aware of it.

According to the doctors, several studies have shown that smoking increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration, cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and dry eye syndrome.

Click here to read the entire article.

 

 

Highlight: How can I adapt my home so I can be safe and independent?

It is so frustrating not be able to do things at home that you might have been able to do in the past and do safely.

  • Have you burned something on the stove or in the oven or in the microwave?
  • Have you twisted your ankle because you missed a step that you used to be able to see?
  • Are you able to find clothes in the closet that go together?
  • Have you poured orange juice over your cereal because you thought you had the milk carton which looks a lot like the juice carton?
  • Can you find the switch plates on the wall?
  • Have you fallen over furniture?
  • Have you burnt yourself trying to make a pot of coffee?
  • Have you tripped over dark-colored throw rugs on dark-colored floors?
  • Have you been unable to tell if the toilet seat is up so you’ve sat down in the toilet bowl?
  • Do you misplace the magnifying glass when you need to read the instructions on a medication bottle?

It’s true that even those with full sight have done some of those things, some of which are funny at the time, but it can be really serious for those with low vision.

There are some good tips for avoiding some of these things so that you can remain safe and independent.  Here’s a good article with tips on:

  • finding clothing that matches
  • using the microwave control pad so you don’t burn your food
  • avoiding falls on floors, over furniture and down steps by providing contrast
  • chosing the right kind of lighting for the area and the task
  • putting lighting where you need it, inside and outside
  • cutting down glare that makes it more difficult to see
  • finding out what low vision aids are available for the home and where to get them
  • adapting each room in the house for your needs

Click here for a very complete guide Household Tips for People with Low Vision.

Click here to read about a book called Making Life More Livable.  I’ve not read it. If you have & would like to write a book review, please let me know.

Do you have any other tips?  Please leave a comment so we can share them with others.

Highlight: Consistent checkups are important to eye health

March 25, 2016

This is a great article that points out that it is important to have your eyes checked regularly and that the timing depends on what’s going on with your eyes.  The article makes 2 especially important points about a diagnosis of AMD:

  •  Even though there is no cure yet for AMD,  it’s important to catch it early since there are some ways to slow down the disease.
  • If a person is diagnosed with AMD, it’s a good idea for them to alert their children about it since there is a hereditary component to it.

Click here to read the rest of the article

Highlight: Patient monitors vision at home & results are sent to the doctor

Feb. 2016

Here’s a Press Release from Notal Vision, Inc., announcing that Medicare will pay for their ForseeHome telemonitoring system for patients who have dry AMD and who are at a high risk for it developing into wet AMD.

The ForseeHome system allows the patient to test their vision daily at home & the results are sent to their retina specialist for monitoring.

Click here to read more about the product.

Here’s a video showing how it works: ForseeHome AMD monitoring