Vision problems can impact independence, and not every issue can be fixed with glasses. Issues like macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy often result in low vision-- mean a person is not blind but has trouble seeing in certain situations. It affects mostly the older generation, but can affect children too.
"It is all ages. I work across the board with kids in schools all the way up to seniors and veterans at the VA hospital," says Michael Wood, low vision expert with lowvision.com
Wood recommends keeping up with your regular eye exams and a healthy diet to improve your odds of healthy vision. Also, make sure your eyes don't work too hard by having good lighting in your home.
"As we age, seniors actually require three times more lighting than someone who is 20 years old," says Wood.
If you are already struggling to see in low light, Wood recommends lamps that have different color temperatures and are dimmable. In other cases, light and text size might be an issue. Video magnifiers have come a long way and allow for independence.
An online search shows a variety of magnifying products products can range in price from 20 dollars for a simple magnifier, to several hundred dollars for a hand held video magnifier, and on the high end can go into the thousands for larger products.
The most difficult step is often asking for help, and Wood says carrying a small object that can help you be more independent can be life changing.
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