Apr 10 2009
Macular Degeneration: Techniques for Refocusing Vision
Although individuals with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) lose central vision, their peripheral vision often remains intact. The Macular Disease Society (based in the UK) has developed a training scheme to help people use the undamaged parts of their eyes to read and identify faces.
According to their research, people can be taught to use their peripheral vision to compensate for damage to their central vision, using “eccentric viewing” and “steady eye techniques”. When someone with central vision loss looks directly at an object it may disappear or appear distorted, but when they look above, below, or to one side of it, they see it more clearly.
Eccentric viewing helps people learn where to focus their gaze to make their vision better. Once this position is identified, they can be taught how to read again using the steady eye technique: instead of moving the eyes from left to right to read a sentence, the person can keep their eyes completely still and move the text to the left so that each word in turn moves into the area of best vision.
Learn more about macular degeneration
SOURCE: BBC News Channel, April 10, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7958838.stm
Comments Off
