Vision Problems Questions

47 Question and Answer Results
  1. How can I help my parent continue to enjoy books after her vision loss?

    Many devices, from stand magnifiers to closed-circuit TV screen reading machines, enable even individuals with severe visual impairment to read, so a sudden switch from reading to exclusively listening isn't necessary for most people. The best way to identify appropriate devices is to have a low-vis...
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  2. How can I persuade my dad to be honest with others about his vision problem?

    There are three reasons why some seniors don't want others to know they have vision loss. The first is a tremendous fear of blindness, coupled with the belief that acknowledging any vision loss is the first step on the way to blindness. They also often think that others will assume they're going bli...
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  3. What causes a white ring around the iris?

    The white ring you see on top of your iris is most likely a deposit of cholesterol around the edge of your cornea, the clear dome that covers the iris. This cholesterol deposit is known officially as a pinguicula. If you are young, this could suggest high cholesterol; if you are a senior citizen, it...
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  4. What are some tips for relieving dry eyes?

    The other things your wife might do to help alleviate dry eyes are take an omega-3 fatty acid (fish oil) capsule, put a hot wet compress over her closed eyes for 15 minutes four times a day, install a humidifier on your furnace and/or a portable humidifier in your most used room in the house and avo...
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  5. What can I do for my blurry vision?

    If your blurry vision is from dry eyes, which it sounds like it may be as you were given drops, I would recommend (1)be sure you blink enough, as if you are absorbed in a TV program you may not blink as frequently as you should and eyes that don't blink frequently become dry,(2) be sure you do not h...
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  6. Are blurred vision and headaches common with Alzheimer's?

    Blurred vision and headaches are not common symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. It is important to have vision of your mother-in-law examined by an ophtalmologist to eliminate the possibility that her blurred vision is due to conditions such as glaucoma or cataract. Vision problem may cause headaches, ...
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  7. What could cause spots in my vision?

    The most commmon cause for seeing spots is condensation of the gel that fills the inside of your eyeball. As the gel condenses, a normal development over time, the little fibres within it separate out and float in the gel. As light passes through your pupil at the front of your eye and through the g...
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  8. Do floaters lead to blindness?

    There is no way to prevent floaters and they won't go away; however, most people become less aware of them as time goes on. They are just little condensations in the gel that fills the hollow inside of your eyeball. They do not cause vision loss and they certainly do not cause blindness. The final o...
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  9. What causes eye floaters?

    The cause of eye floaters is condensation of the transparent gel, called vitreous, that fills our eyeballs. As we age the vitreous condenses and makes little bits of solid material in the gel visible. Floaters are not dangerous and are not a sign of something more serious. If a whole eyefull of floa...
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  10. Is there a treatment for the brown spots in my eyes?

    There is no treatment for the brown spots in your eyes and they are not associated with jaundice. If you notice them enlarging or changing color you should see your ophthalmologist.
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  11. Is my mother considered blind?

    with 20/80 visual acuity in one eye your mother is neither blind, nor "legally blind", regardless of the condition of the other eye. To be considered legally blind, best visual acuity in your best eye has to be 20/200. 20/80 means that your mother has to stand 20 feet from an object to see it that t...
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  12. Will eye strain damage my eyes?

    Using your eyes will not damage them; "eye strain" will not damage them. To relieve the strain, however, be sure you are blinking enough, look away from the material every 20 min or so for a couple minutes and, depending on your age, explore the option of reading glasses. The power of the reading gl...
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  13. What Causes a "Wrinkle" on a Retina?

    Check out links on eye macular pucker or wrinkle slight scarring that occurs on the macular the centermost area of the eye caused when the virtuous jell shrinks frequently with age and retina pulls away a bit from the eye wall and causes a lilltle wrinkle- usually doesn't get worse if the wrinkle yo...
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  14. How can I stay active with vision loss?

    The vision we use to avoid bumping into objects is our peripheral vision -- what we see at the edges of our vision. If your mother has lost part or all of her peripheral vision, she'll benefit from rehabilitation training to become aware of the missing area of vision. It'll help her learn to adjust ...
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  15. What's an Amsler grid?

    The Amsler grid is an early warning system for a change in your parent's macular degeneration. Macular degeneration affects the retina of the eye, which is sensitive to horizontal and vertical lines. If you look at the grid that your parent has posted on the refrigerator, you'll see that it has even...
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  16. Can hallucinations be a sign of vision loss?

    Approximately 30 percent of individuals with vision loss see visual hallucinations or "phantom images." This is called Charles Bonnet syndrome, named after the Swiss philosopher who first described it over 200 years ago. When it happens, the individual sees a recurring full-color, life-like image of...
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  17. What is the difference between wet and dry macular degeneration?

    The difference between wet and dry macular degeneratiom (AMD) is that in wet AMD blood vessels develop under the macular where they should not be and in dry AMD there are no such vessels. In wet AMD those vessels leak, bleed and damage the macula whereas, which can happen suddenly, whereas in dry AM...
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  18. How can I help my parent accept her eye disease?

    We tell our patients not to give up hope for a miracle but not to wait for it. You'll want to respect your parent's feelings, but at the same time you can encourage her to explore low-vision aids (like magnifiers and talking watches) and resources (like support groups and rehabilitation training). O...
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  19. What are the best type of sunglasses for someone with impaired vision?

    While protection from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays helps prevent cataracts, the best glasses for someone with macular degeneration are those that block not only UV light but also blue wavelengths, as it's the blue light, not UV, that's the culprit in macular degeneration.
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  20. Should Dad learn braille?

    First, I wouldn't assume your father can't read print if he hasn't already tried a CCTV (closed-circuit television), which magnifies much more than the strongest magnifier and provides a large area for viewing. Most people with age-related macular degeneration, for example, can at least read bills w...
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