[Boomer]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

well said

Thank you. I am committed to helping with awareness of vision issues. Sometimes people try to ignore the symptoms of AMD. One guy I know first noticed phone poles were looking wavy. Another friend told me that faces looked like they were melting on one side.

The Amsler Grid can be easily found online and looked at in minutes to see if those lines look reassuringly straight.

I have talked a couple of people through the fear of getting a needle in the eye for their wet AMD. Obviously, it’s not the most pleasant thing to think about, but those shots in the white of the eye can save vision. The white of the eye does not have a lot of feeling. The shots are said to be felt more as a pressure.

Awareness of macular degeneration symptoms is especially important as we age. Those who are (highly myopic ( -6.00 diopters or more) might find themselves, at a regular optometrist exam, being referred to a retinal specialist if potential problems are spotted in the retina.

When that happens, the referral might be simply because conditions exist for future problems — that might never happen. But if a retinal doc could be needed eventually, it is good for a high myope to already be in the loop. Sometimes the retinal doc will take over the regular dilations and the optometrist prescribes the glasses. Retinal docs have sophisticated equipment for taking photos of the retina to track changes. Being sent to a retinal doc because the retina has appeared to have potential for serious problems is kind of like the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning. It’s about awareness because conditions exist.

(Remember that big model of the eye in school when we were told that the cornea is like the lens of a camera and the retina is the film. . .I wonder what they tell kids now that most of them have never seen or needed film.)

Anyway, treatment for macular degeneration has come a very long way. But never ignore symptoms.

Boomer

PS: And, no, I do not carry a printed Amsler Grid in my purse to pass around at parties……anymore.