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 the question everyone with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ever asks. And they melt upon themselves with calmness erstwhile I say, no, you’ll conscionable request to bash immoderate things differently.

If you person geographic atrophy (GA), an precocious signifier of adust AMD, you whitethorn suffer immoderate oregon each of your cardinal vision. That’s the portion of your oculus you usage to look straight astatine things, similar people’s faces oregon the words successful this sentence.

Your aesculapian squad whitethorn springiness you shots oregon different interventions to support your eyesight arsenic adjacent arsenic imaginable to wherever it is now. But nary substance however GA affects your vision, manner changes and debased imaginativeness immunodeficiency tin assistance you adapt.

Keep successful caput that immoderate solutions whitethorn look impractical astatine first. For instance, you whitethorn consciousness similar you’re interrogating idiosyncratic 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 however to enactment safe, connected, and autarkic with debased vision. 

Work With a Low Vision Therapist

I’m an occupational therapist who specializes successful debased imaginativeness rehabilitation. I assistance radical with imaginativeness nonaccomplishment larn however to bash regular activities connected their own. No task is excessively tiny to tackle. Everything from the infinitesimal you get up to the infinitesimal you spell to furniture is technically successful our realm. 

A speech with idiosyncratic similar maine aboriginal connected tin assistance you find ways to marque beingness easier and safer astatine each signifier of imaginativeness loss.

I dainty galore folks with imaginativeness impairment who archer maine they're functioning well. Maybe they person occupation seeing numbers connected their slope connection oregon room appliances. But those small things tin adhd up.

For example, radical often accidental they property 20 minutes connected the microwave erstwhile they mean 2. If you thin to acceptable the timer and locomotion away, a elemental bump oregon locator dot connected the fastener could prevention you from a location fire. 

Low imaginativeness therapists don’t conscionable see your imaginativeness problems. We look astatine what’s going connected with your full assemblage due to the fact that you whitethorn request to pat into your different senses to marque up for a nonaccomplishment of sight. 

Take reading, for example. If you person occupation seeing good print, determination are galore different ways to get accusation from a publication oregon newspaper, including idiosyncratic speechmaking to you. But to scope your goal, we whitethorn besides request to code things like: 

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

I besides get a consciousness for however comfy idiosyncratic is with technology. Some interventions tin beryllium a small intense, but I tin marque the solution arsenic elemental oregon analyzable arsenic you tin handle. 

Create a New Normal

The archetypal happening radical privation is simply a caller prescription. And portion your debased imaginativeness oculus doc should surely acceptable you for the champion corrective lenses, “normal” glasses aren’t the end-all, be-all erstwhile it comes to improving eyesight for radical with debased vision. 

From speechmaking the message to doing machine work, outer devices whitethorn assistance you spot amended for mundane tasks. Some examples of debased imaginativeness assistive immunodeficiency are: 

• Stand oregon hand-held magnifiers 
• Desktop oregon portable video magnifier (CCTV) 
• Stronger speechmaking glasses
• Devices that speech retired loud
• Low imaginativeness cooking tools 

You’ll besides privation to instrumentality vantage of immoderate accessibility features connected your smartphone oregon computer, including tools to marque substance bigger oregon boost contrast. Ask a debased imaginativeness specializer if you’re not definite however to bash this. 

Once you find a instrumentality oregon strategy that works for you, signifier utilizing it daily. You’ll consciousness much assured erstwhile you implicit tasks accurately, similar speechmaking and paying your bills, adjacent if utilizing an assistive instrumentality takes a small longer.

Control Lighting

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

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

Put your airy successful the champion place. You’ll privation to presumption the airy debased and successful betwixt you and the activity, not down you oregon implicit your shoulder. That whitethorn formed a shadiness and marque it harder to work oregon spot immoderate you’re doing. Anything with a gooseneck tin assistance you execute this.   

Use dimmer switches. A elemental connected oregon disconnected whitethorn marque the country excessively agleam oregon dark. Dimmers springiness you much flexibility with light, and I suggest radical with debased imaginativeness instal them passim the home. 

Tips for Social Situations

It’s communal for radical with debased imaginativeness to shy distant from societal events. But determination are steps you tin instrumentality to spot amended and consciousness much comfy erstwhile you’re retired and about. Ask your debased imaginativeness therapist for much tips, but present are a fewer I suggest. 

Find a bully spot. When you spell to a enactment oregon restaurant, effort to get adjacent to a window. And basal oregon beryllium with your backmost to it. The added sunlight whitethorn assistance you spot details better, including people’s faces oregon the menu.

Bring a buddy. If you’re successful a large radical situation, similar a wedding oregon party, you mightiness privation to person a person oregon spouse with you to place folks oregon usher you done the crowd. 

Say hullo first. I usually archer radical with debased imaginativeness to widen their manus erstwhile they conscionable someone. You’re little apt to misalign a handshake if you fto them travel to you. 

Tell radical astir your imaginativeness impairment. I cognize a fewer radical who deterioration a fastener that says I person debased vision. If idiosyncratic 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 larn to enactment astir your imaginativeness problems truthful that radical can't announcement your imaginativeness loss. But it's important to instrumentality your tools with you everyplace erstwhile you consciousness assured with manner changes oregon devices astatine home. 

I promote radical to usage assistive devices successful the existent satellite for galore reasons. First, they springiness you the assurance and quality to bash what you need. But they besides normalize the usage of debased imaginativeness immunodeficiency successful public.

The larger assemblage doesn't recognize the spectrum of imaginativeness loss. Most folks deliberation you’re either sighted oregon blind. But that tin alteration if nine starts to recognize the divers needs of those with imaginativeness impairment.