Lifestyle Changes That Can Help You See Better

By Kristen Shifflett, OT, arsenic told to Keri Wiginton

“Will I spell wholly unsighted from this?” 

That’s nan mobility everyone pinch age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ever asks. And they melt upon themselves pinch calmness erstwhile I say, no, you’ll conscionable request to do immoderate things differently.

If you person geographic atrophy (GA), an precocious shape of barren AMD, you whitethorn suffer immoderate aliases each of your cardinal vision. That’s nan portion of your oculus you usage to look straight astatine things, for illustration people’s faces aliases nan words successful this sentence.

Your aesculapian squad whitethorn springiness you shots aliases different interventions to support your eyesight arsenic adjacent arsenic imaginable to wherever it is now. But nary matter really GA affects your vision, manner changes and debased imagination immunodeficiency tin thief you adapt.

Keep successful mind that immoderate solutions whitethorn look impractical astatine first. For instance, you whitethorn consciousness for illustration you’re interrogating personification if you radiance a flashlight straight connected their face. But isn’t a small awkwardness worthy it to spot your loved ones a small much clearly?

Here are immoderate tips for really to enactment safe, connected, and independent pinch debased vision. 

Work With a Low Vision Therapist

I’m an occupational therapist who specializes successful debased imagination rehabilitation. I thief group pinch imagination nonaccomplishment study really to do regular activities connected their own. No task is excessively mini to tackle. Everything from nan infinitesimal you get up to nan infinitesimal you spell to furniture is technically successful our realm. 

A speech pinch personification for illustration maine early connected tin thief you find ways to make life easier and safer astatine each shape of imagination loss.

I dainty galore folks pinch imagination impairment who show maine they're functioning well. Maybe they person problem seeing numbers connected their slope connection aliases room appliances. But those small things tin adhd up.

For example, group often opportunity they property 20 minutes connected nan microwave erstwhile they mean 2. If you thin to group nan timer and locomotion away, a elemental bump aliases locator dot connected nan fastener could prevention you from a location fire. 

Low imagination therapists don’t conscionable see your imagination problems. We look astatine what’s going connected pinch your full assemblage because you whitethorn request to pat into your different senses to dress up for a nonaccomplishment of sight. 

Take reading, for example. If you person problem seeing good print, location are galore different ways to get accusation from a book aliases newspaper, including personification reference to you. But to scope your goal, we whitethorn besides request to reside things like: 

• Hearing problems
• Dementia aliases representation challenges
• Arthritis aliases different aesculapian conditions 

I besides get a consciousness for really comfortable personification is pinch technology. Some interventions tin beryllium a small intense, but I tin make nan solution arsenic elemental aliases analyzable arsenic you tin handle. 

Create a New Normal

The first point group want is simply a caller prescription. And while your debased imagination oculus expert should surely fresh you for nan champion corrective lenses, “normal” glasses aren’t nan end-all, be-all erstwhile it comes to improving eyesight for group pinch debased vision. 

From reference nan message to doing machine work, outer devices whitethorn thief you spot amended for mundane tasks. Some examples of debased imagination assistive immunodeficiency are: 

• Stand aliases hand-held magnifiers 
• Desktop aliases portable video magnifier (CCTV) 
• Stronger reference glasses
• Devices that talk retired loud
• Low imagination cooking tools 

You’ll besides want to return advantage of immoderate accessibility features connected your smartphone aliases computer, including devices to make matter bigger aliases boost contrast. Ask a debased imagination master if you’re not judge really to do this. 

Once you find a instrumentality aliases strategy that useful for you, believe utilizing it daily. You’ll consciousness much assured erstwhile you complete tasks accurately, for illustration reference and paying your bills, moreover if utilizing an assistive instrumentality takes a small longer.

Control Lighting

If you person GA, you want to boost brightness without adding glare. Here are immoderate things to see erstwhile it comes to debased imagination lighting:  

Use task lighting. These table aliases level lamps are a must for immoderate tabletop activity, whether that’s reading, seeing nutrient connected your plate, aliases moving connected a jigsaw puzzle. One of my favorites is nan Stella Go, a portable task lamp that lets you alteration nan colour of ray and set brightness depending connected what you need.  

Put your ray successful nan champion place. You’ll want to position nan ray debased and successful betwixt you and nan activity, not down you aliases complete your shoulder. That whitethorn formed a protector and make it harder to publication aliases spot immoderate you’re doing. Anything pinch a gooseneck tin thief you execute this.   

Use dimmer switches. A elemental connected aliases disconnected whitethorn make nan room excessively agleam aliases dark. Dimmers springiness you much elasticity pinch light, and I propose group pinch debased imagination instal them passim nan home. 

Tips for Social Situations

It’s communal for group pinch debased imagination to awkward distant from societal events. But location are steps you tin return to spot amended and consciousness much comfortable erstwhile you’re retired and about. Ask your debased imagination therapist for much tips, but present are a fewer I suggest. 

Find a bully spot. When you spell to a statement aliases restaurant, effort to get adjacent to a window. And guidelines aliases beryllium pinch your backmost to it. The added sunlight whitethorn thief you spot specifications better, including people’s faces aliases nan menu.

Bring a buddy. If you’re successful a large group situation, for illustration a wedding aliases party, you mightiness want to person a friend aliases partner pinch you to place folks aliases guideline you done nan crowd. 

Say hullo first. I usually show group pinch debased imagination to widen their manus erstwhile they meet someone. You’re little apt to misalign a handshake if you fto them travel to you. 

Tell group astir your imagination impairment. I cognize a fewer group who deterioration a fastener that says I person debased vision. If personification doesn’t cognize what that means, astatine slightest it’ll springiness you a caller taxable of conversation. 

Education and Awareness

People are resilient. And you whitethorn study to activity astir your imagination problems truthful that group can't announcement your imagination loss. But it's important to return your devices pinch you everyplace erstwhile you consciousness assured pinch manner changes aliases devices astatine home. 

I promote group to usage assistive devices successful nan existent world for galore reasons. First, they springiness you nan assurance and expertise to do what you need. But they besides normalize nan usage of debased imagination immunodeficiency successful public.

The larger organization doesn't understand nan spectrum of imagination loss. Most folks deliberation you’re either sighted aliases blind. But that tin alteration if nine starts to understand nan divers needs of those pinch imagination impairment.