Rural Missouri - January 2018 - 6
Local Eye Doctors Help Legally Blind To See High Technology For Low Vision Patients Allows Many To Drive Again that will give you the independence you've been looking for. Patients with vision in the 20/200 range can many times be improved to 20/50 or better. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness and vision loss in people over 50. Despite this, most adults are not familiar with the condition. As many as 25% of those over the age of 50 have some degree of macular degeneration. The macula is only one small part of the retina; however, it is the most sensitive and gives us sharp central vision. When it deteriorates, For many patients with macular macular degeneration leaves a blind degeneration and other vision-related spot right in the center of vision, conditions, the loss of central visual making it difficult or impossible to detail also signals the end to one of the recognize faces, read a book, or pass last bastion of independence: driving. the driver's vision test. Missouri optometrists Dr. Ryan Nine out of 10 people who have Broyles & Dr. Jill Mogil and Illinois macular degeneration have the dry optometrist Dr. Marianne McDaniel form. New research suggests vitamins are using miniaturized telescopes can help. The British medical journal that are mounted in glasses to help BMC Ophthalmology recently people who have lost vision from reported that 56% of patients treated macular degeneration and other eye with a high-dose combination of conditions. vitamins experienced improved vision "Some of my patients consider me after six months. the last stop for people who have While age is the most significant vision loss," said Dr. Broyles, who, risk factor for developing the disease, along with Drs Mogil and McDaniel heredity, smoking, cardiovascular are part of a group of only a few disease, and high blood pressure have doctors in the world who specialize in also been identified as risk factors. fitting bioptic telescopes to help those Macular degeneration accounts who have lost vision due to macular for 90% of new legal blindness in the degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, U.S. While there is currently no cure, and other debilitating eye diseases. promising research is being done on Imagine a pair of glasses that can many fronts. "My job is to figure out improve your vision enough to change everything and anything possible to your life. If you're a low vision patient, keep a person functioning, especially you've probably not only imagined driving," says Dr. McDaniel. them, but have been searching for "Bioptic telescopes can cost over them. Bioptic telescopes may be the $2,000," said Dr. Mogil, "especially breakthrough in optical technology if we build them with an automatic ADVERTISEMENT sunglass." "The major benefit of the bioptic telescope is that the lens automatically focuses on whatever you're looking at," said Dr. Broyles. "It's like a self-focusing camera, but much more precise." A scene as it might be viewed by a person with age-related macular degeneration. To learn more about bioptic telescopes or to schedule a consultation call today. Ryan Broyles, O.D. (816) 229-3001 Serving The Greater Kansas City Area www.LowVisionMidwest.com Marianne McDaniel, O.D. (802) 350-6599 Serving Western Illinois www.LowVisionOfSouthIL.com Jill Mogil, O.D. (833) 376-6445 Serving The Greater St. Louis Area www.LowVisioniCare.com