When Vision Dims, Some Tools Can Help Maintain Independence

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Many devices can help people with low vision — a permanent partial loss of eyesight that makes everyday tasks difficult.

The June issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource discusses low vision, what it is, the causes and the supplementary tools available when prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, medicine or surgery don't improve vision sufficiently.

Low vision is not the normal difficulty reading the small print that can accompany aging. Low vision is caused by eye diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy or retinitis pigmentosa. Vision loss can be mild to severe.

Patients should work with a low-vision specialist to determine the best tools and how to use them. In many cases, patients will find vision aids that allow them to maintain independence.

Some include:

— Magnifying eyeglasses. They are stronger than prescription eyeglasses. The lens may be included with the eyeglasses or attached to a headband for use on close-up tasks such as reading or threading a needle.

— Miniature telescopes. These telescopes, hand-held or mounted on eyeglasses, help a person see at a distance, such as across a road or a television across the room.

— Video magnifiers. They use a camera and a video screen to enlarge printed material, pictures or small objects. Some are portable, and some can be used with a computer or monitor.

— "Talking" tools. Alarm clocks, watches, timers, thermometers, scales, prescription bottles and blood sugar meters that "talk" help with daily tasks.

— Computer software programs. Software is available that can magnify text on a computer screen. Speech systems include computers that read aloud what's on the screen. Scanning devices can read printed text.

— Closed-circuit TV systems. They project an enlarged image onto a video screen to help with reading books, magazines and other materials.

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Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource is published monthly to help women enjoy healthier, more productive lives. Revenue from subscriptions is used to support medical research at Mayo Clinic. To subscribe, please call 1-800-876-8633, extension 9751, (toll-free) or visit www.bookstore.mayoclinic.com.

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About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy of "the needs of the patient come first." More than 3,700 physicians, scientists and researchers, and 50,100 allied health staff work at Mayo Clinic, which has campuses in Rochester, Minn; Jacksonville, Fla; and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz.; and community-based providers in more than 70 locations in southern Minnesota., western Wisconsin and northeast Iowa. These locations treat more than half a million people each year. To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to www.mayoclinic.org/news. For information about research and education, visit www.mayo.edu. MayoClinic.com (www.mayoclinic.com) is available as a resource for your health stories.