Category: under construction

AMD Quiz 1: The Basics and More!

For those of you in the Facebook group, I will post the answers, but they can be found in learning units 1 & 2.

This is a draft. If you have suggestions for questions or for how to make the questions better, please let me  know.

Unit 1 Welcome and the Basics of AMD
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mymacularjournal/learning_content/?filter=251658992213809

Unit 2. Do You Know the Basics and Want More Information?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mymacularjournal/learning_content/?filter=545510992537230

  1. The symptoms of AMD are (choose all that apply):
    1. eye pain
    2. problems with glare
    3. straight lines look wavy
    4. blind spots
    5. watery or dry eyes
    6. trouble adapting when going from light to darkness or dark to light (light adaptation)
    7. colors may be less vivid or darker
    8. seeing flashing lights
    9. I don’t know!

  2. True or false: Dry macular degeneration always progresses slowly, often taking 10 years to cause vision problems.
  3. Wet AMD is caused by (choose one):
    1. Blood vessels that are abnormal and leaky that grow toward the macula of the retina.
    2. Photoreceptors that die and turn into liquid under the retina.
    3. Trauma to the eye that causes swelling.
    4. I don’t know!

  4. VEGF is:
    1. a protein that comes from eating too many vegetables that start with the letter F
    2. a molecule released in wet AMD that causes the blood vessels to grow and leak into the retina.
    3. I don’t know!

  5. These leaky blood vessels cause:
    1. inflammation that can cause vison loss.
    2. fluid building up and causing the macula to tear from its base.
    3. if untreated, can damage the RPEs which take care of the photoreceptors; if they’re damaged, that can damage the photoreceptors which is what causes vision loss.
    4. All of the above.
    5. None of the above.
    6. I don’t know!

  6. With wet AMD, the medication inserted into the eye through an injection: (choose all the apply)
    1. Stops the VEGF (question 4 above) that causes the blood vessels to grow and leak; that’s why they’re called anti-VEGF medications.
    2. Reduces the risk of vision loss.
    3. Lasts only a short time so injections often are repeated
    4. Stops the progression of AMD.
    5. I don’t know!

  7. True or false: Reading too much can make my AMD worse.

  8. True or false: Having dry and itchy eyes is the same as having dry AMD.

  9. True or false: I have a diagnosis of AMD which means eventually I’ll go completely blind.
  10. True or false: seeing things that aren’t there (hallucinations) has nothing to do with AMD; it’s caused by some form of brain disease.
  11.  True or false: having dry AMD means I’ll eventually get wet AMD.
  12. I can keep track of vision changes by (choose all that apply):
    1. Checking an Amsler Grid (You can print one from Unit 1).
    2. Using a device at home that is connected to my retinal specialist’s office
    3. Looking at door and window frames to see if they look wavy instead of straight
    4. There’s nothing I can do, I have to wait until I see my eye doctor
    5. I don’t know!

  13. These are good questions to ask your eye doctor (choose all that apply):
    1. Do any of my current medications affect the progression of AMD?
    2. Do I have wet or dry AMD? One eye or both?
    3. What stage of AMD is each eye?
    4. How often do I need to be examined?
    5. Should I take vitamin supplements? If so, will they interact with my current medications?
    6. What should I be eating or not eating?
    7. How could I get involved in clinical trials?
    8. Do I have to have injections into my eye? If so, will they hurt? Do they stop the AMD?

  14. True or false: Often when people talk about going blind from AMD, they are NOT talking about complete blindness which means no vision at all (sometimes called ‘dark’ blind). They’re talking about central vision loss.
  15. With AMD, of all cases of it (choose only one):
    1. 85-90% are wet AMD; 10-15% are dry AMD.
    2. 85-90% are dry AMD; 10-15% are wet AMD
    3. It’s 50/50 wet and dry.
    4. I don’t know!

  16.  True or false: having drusen definitely means I have AMD.
  17. These are the cells in the eye that actually allow us to see (one answer):
    1. RPEs
    2. Bruch’s membrane
    3. photoreceptors
    4. none of the above
    5. I don’t know!

  18. Which are known risk factors for AMD: (choose all that apply)
    1. eye color
    2. age
    3. untreated high blood pressure
    4. untreated high cholesterol
    5. being overweight
    6. being sedentary
    7. not eating a healthy diet
    8. being male
    9. being female
    10. smoking
    11. dark skin
    12. light skin
    13. excessive alcohol consumption
    14. sun exposure: current and past
    15. eating too many leafy green vegetables
    16. I don’t know
  19.  Cataract surgery when you have AMD is (all that apply):
    1. is definitely NOT advisable at any stage
    2. has not been shown to make AMD worse
    3. is not advisable if you have an active bleed from wet AMD
    4. may improve one’s vision
    5. I don’t know!

  20. The stages of AMD in order are (choose one):
    1. Early dry, intermediate dry, advanced AMD (dry or wet; can be both in the same eye)
    2. Early dry, intermediate dry, advanced AMD (dry or wet; can NOT be both in the same eye)
    3. Wet AMD and if the injections work dry AMD.
    4. I don’t know!

Highlight: How can we protect our eyes indoors?

I accidentally published this but it’s not done yet!
 ** under construction **

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Lighting

Artificial lighting is used to simulate the light of the sun indoors.  We need proper lighting not only for vision tasks but for safety.  When the macula is damaged by AMD, not only do we lose our visual acuity but also our ability to process glare and contrast. The range of light made available varies quite a bit, each type with its own benefits and risks (sometimes these are based on scientific research, sometimes opinion & experience). The brightness & type of light is important.  These are the most common types of lighting you can get –  there are others that you’ll see in the links provided below:

  • Full spectrum: You get the entire spectrum just like you do with the sun (infrared, visible, non-visible). This type of lighting is used to grow plants indoors (grow lights) but also to sew and do crafts. It enhances color & contrast but it includes the harmful UVA, UVB and blue light.
  • Incandescent: the most common form of light bulb which provides a yellower, more direct light that is good for close work, like sewing or reading.  There is some blue light emitted.
  • Halogen: produces the brightest and whitest light. For some people with low vision, it can enhance contrast between print and background, but for others they generate too much glare. It also generates a lot of heat.
  • LED (Liquid Electrical Display): The newest form of lighting.  The quality of light provided is excellent, the color of the light is not damaging to the eyes (has no UV rays), the bulbs are long-lasting (eg, with 8 hours a day, an LED light could last 14 years) and there are no hot lamp surfaces or bulbs. They do, however, emit blue light.  For that reason, some people do not use them.  
  • Fluorescent : casts blue-white light evenly and without shadows over a wide area. Because it generates a lot of light without using a lot of electricity, it is the type of lighting most often used in public places, such as supermarkets or offices. But it can create increased glare.

Here are some links to helpful sources regarding indoor lighting.

Lens Coatings/screen protectors to filter out harmful rays

Not only do we have to protect our eyes outdoors but also indoors.   We’ve talked about the type of light that can be made available but there are two more considerations:

  • what if you can’t control the lighting in your environment, eg, you work where there are flourescent lighting that causes glare or full spectrum light which emits blue light?
  • We are getting harmful blue light from our computers, tablets, cell phones, TVs, etc.

glasses

https://www.lowbluelights.com/index.asp

Not all amber lens filter blue light

http://www.cocoonseyewear.com/sunwear/category.php?id=53

https://www.paleohacks.com/sleep/will-plain-red-or-orange-lenses-block-blue-light-for-sleep-17104

 

 

 

 

Is blue light keeping you up at night? We ask the experts

AM and PM lights for sleep/wake

http://pressroom.gelighting.com/news/ge-redefines-lighting-with-ge-alignTM-lighting-aiding-natural-sleep-cycle#.VvlH6OIrLIU

 

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA401620/Do-Orange-Glasses-Block-Blue-Light.html

 

 

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