(http://www.PreserveMacForte.com) While some people opt to forgo glasses so that they don’t mess up their style, others prefer substance over style and are willing to put on a super hideous pair of glasses to get a new lease on life.
According to KSL.com on October 7, a Utah artist is putting a brand new pair of non-cool glasses to work so that he can overcome the impact of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The article noted that Beverly Mastrim’s vision has, over the last half dozen years, gotten worse and worse due to AMD. While prescription glasses were enough to enable her to operate a car or go for a walk, she was not able to able to enjoy her passion for painting. She acknowledged in the article that being unable to paint “was quite depressing.”
According to the article, approximately 15 million people in the United States are living with AMD, and that number is on pace to double in the next 10 years due to the aging population.
In a bid to help her to continue to paint, Mastrim’s doctor, Dr. Jared Cooper, prescribed her a set of wearable telescopes. Mastrim, according to the article, is the first person in Utah to benefit from the new, enhanced version of the wearable telescopes… and, to her surprise, she’s now able to paint again.
The article noted that there have been similar technologies available for quite some time, but the wearable telescopes that Dr. Cooper recommended to Mastrim included a pair of lenses that are basically miniscule telescopes that come equipped with bi-focals and her prescription, which permit her to paint effectively. She said in the article that it’s a”wonderful feeling to” have the capacity to “see what to paint.” The article noted that Mastrim is now able to see from a distance and to see colors.
According to the article, Dr. Cooper said that the special glasses can, in the majority of cases that they’re prescribed, boost the quality of life of the wearers.
Meanwhile, Dr. Bradley Freestone, affiliated with the University of Utah Life Skills Clinic, said in the article that, while there are various solutions that can help low-vision people, eye-care professionals have not focused enough on these options.
According to the article, Dr. Freestone has set up an open-house session to be held at the clinic on October 17 to roll out a group made up of low-vision sufferers, families and professionals. He explained that he hopes the consortium will help people to learn that there are options for those who are living with low vision.
Reference: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=22464634