Low Vision Blog

Living with Diabetes is a growing concern for doctors and patients of all ages, as the number of Americans suffering with Diabetes continue to rise. It’s a disease that affects a long list of the body’s various organs, including our eyes. As Diabetes progresses, visual impairments can occur as a result of Diabetic Retinopathy, which […]

Currently, over 4 million Americans are suffering from Glaucoma. This low vision disease, a leading cause of blindness which typically affects older people, is referred to as “the sneak thief of sight”; it’s early stages often go undetected. Early detection is paramount, as doctors and specialists can possibly restore lost vision, or maximize their remaining […]

As our aging population increases, more adults and seniors are losing their vision to common diseases like macular degeneration or glaucoma. In the search for a cure, it’s become obvious that a nutritious diet can go a long way in preventing low vision. U.S. Dietary Guidelines are expected to change in an effort to promote […]

Recently I joined a new low vision support group. I knew no one in the group of 200 women. They did not know me either and only the person who invited me knew that I had a visual impairment. Since my format would need to be adjusted so that I could participate, she told the […]

Positive results from a Phase II advanced dry macular degeneration study has opened doors to a Phase III clinical trial  involving more than 900 patients in 20 countries.  The study will run for two years. The drug Lampalizumab “slowed progression of dry, aged related macular degeneration in patients with advanced disease, shrinking the area of […]

As an avid iPad user the Siri feature has become a normal part of its use. I like her available and uplifting voice as she asks me questions and answers my queries. She makes me laugh with her boldness as she tells me “Off to the clouds”. Then after I had gotten used to her […]

In a recent blog by ophthalmologist and low vision specialist,  Lylas Mogk, MD., she reports that “about 30% of people with vision loss experience Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) for a year or two, in which they see clear, colorful images of people, animals, flowers or buildings, for example, that aren’t really there. The person seeing […]

There has been lots of activity in the research world using embryonic and adult stem cells to treat not only macular degeneration, but other eye diseases as well, such as Stargardts macular dystrophy, optic nerve disease and glaucoma.   These early Phase I clinical trials enroll very small numbers of patients, leaving the rest of the […]

Ocata Therapeutics, formerly known as Advanced Cell Technology, is conducting a study for the treatment of dry macular degeneration (AMD) at several sites in the United States. The company concentrates their efforts in a new field of treatment, called regenerative medicine. “At the very core of our regenerative ophthalmology efforts is the notion that we […]

The iolAMD is a breakthrough in the treatment of macular degeneration.  Patients are reporting that once the new lenses are implanted they are able to see faces, enjoy colors, drive and read again.  These telescopic lenses work differently than other macular degeneration implants in several ways.  It is available to a wider range of patients […]