(http://www.PreserveMacForte.com) People with vision impairment stemming from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can help their own cause courtesy of a self-management plan, reported Newsfix.ca recently.
According to the article, AMD happens to be one of the most prevalent causes of vision impairment among the elderly demographic. In fact, it affects 20% of people who are older than 65 years. The condition, which can interfere with the ability to drive cars, watch television, read books and even recognize the faces of family members, often triggers serious depression.
Meanwhile, University of California, San Diego, researchers have been studying how a self-management plan can help people living with AMD. According to the article, the researchers studies a group of 231 volunteers who each had advanced AMD. The volunteers were offered health lecture tapes to listen to on their own, the self-management program or were added to a waiting list for the program. The program was made up of two-hour session each week for six weeks and included, among other things, the latest information on AMD and problem-solving suggestions on topics like communication and transportation.
Prior to the study, about 25% of the group, overall, were experiencing depression due to the eye ailment. After the study, people on the program reported a substantial reduction in depression and an increase in their enjoyment of life. People on the waiting list actually found that their depression situation worsened. The researchers, therefore, concluded that self-management can help people living with age-related macular degeneration to steer clear of, or at least reduce, depression.
In other news, eye health professionals recommend that people get their eyes tested at least once a year. If they have a family history of AMD, they will probably need to get tested or checked more regularly since their odds of getting AMD are higher if a family member has been diagnosed with the eye disease. While there is no cure for AMD, fast diagnosis opens up many more treatment options than would be the case if the disease is found later on. People who are diagnosed sooner rather than later might be able to reverse some vision loss or even slow down the progression of the disease.
Reference: http://www.newsfix.ca/2013/05/27/self-management-helps-with-visual-problem/