People who have age-related macular degeneration (AMD) need not kiss reading goodbye since tablet computers can help them to continue to enjoy books, according to WCSH Portland on Nov. 13.
According to the article, people with vision that has been compromised due to AMD or other vision-impairment conditions might be able to enhance their ability to continue reading by using tablets such as the popular iPod from Apple in Cupertino, California.
While a tablet might be able to help AMD patients to read a bit more clearly, Dr. Daniel Roth was quick to add in the article that the technology won’t exactly give sight to the blind. He explained that it will simply make reading “more comfortable” for people with AMD.
In the article, Dr. Roth, who is affiliated with the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School located in New Jersey, noted that the macula happens to be the portion of the eye people use when they directly focus on something with the intention of reading it. However, a damaged macula, which is the result of AMD, can complicate the task of reading.
Dr. Roth, in fact, said in the article that patients typically raise concerns about the lack of sufficient lighting conducive to reading. The reason that tablets are an attractive option, he noted, is that they are equipped with a back-lit feature. Furthermore, users are able to adjust things such as font size, brightness and contrast to suit their needs.
Although people who frequently use tablets might experience tired eyes, the article cited experts as saying that there is no reason to believe that people can further hurt their eyes by reading from their tablets.
So AMD patients who’ve been forced to shelve their favorite books, as their eye condition has worsened, now have a good reason to go out and buy that tablet they’ve always wanted. While the technology won’t magically restore any vision loss, it will make it easier to enjoy curling up on the sofa and enjoying a good read.
With the wide variety of tablets available at different price points, book-loving AMD patients will have plenty of options to choose from among.