A visit back home to the north east of England is a chance to catch up with family.
This is about my father, who at the time the pictures were taken was 85 years old. Unfortunately, he suffers from age-related macular degeneration. He very wisely decided to stop driving a few years ago because of it, but sadly it meant he had to stop what he loved doing which was tailoring for friends and family.
He was happy to pose for me with the equipment he was given to help him try and lead a normal a life as possible. The tools he uses include an illuminated magnifying glass to help him read the newspaper.
There are two types of macular degeneration and in my fathers case he suffers from the wet version. He has been involved in drug trials for Lucentis in the north east of England through the NHS and these drugs have helped him preserve what sight he has left.
Age-related Macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive eye condition affecting as many as 15 million Americans and millions more around the world. The disease attacks the macula of the eye, where our sharpest central vision occurs. This is the vision we use to drive, read, recognize faces and perform daily tasks. AMD does not cause complete blindness, only central blindness. It spares the peripheral vision (around the edges), leaving only dim images or black holes at the center of vision.
AMD is the number one cause of severe vision loss and legal blindness in adults over 60 in the U.S. It escalates with age. It affects 14%-24% of the U.S. population aged 65-74 years and 35 – 40% of people aged 74 years or more have the disease. In other words, more than one person in three can develop signs of age-related macular degeneration, with over 200,000 new cases diagnosed every year.
There are two types of AMD – “wet” or neovascular and “dry” or atrophic. There is no cure for AMD, but treatments are available for the wet form of the disease. There is no treatment for the dry form, but research will likely produce some treatments in the coming years. Even with vision loss, training and special devices can promote independence and a return to favorite activities.
Age-related macular degeneration destroys the clear, “straight ahead” central vision necessary for reading, driving, identifying faces, watching television, doing fine detailed work, safely navigating stairs and performing other daily tasks we take for granted. It can make it more difficult to see contrast and can change the way color is seen. Peripheral vision may not be affected, and it is possible to see “out of the corner of your eye”. Vision rehabilitation and assistive devices can help people use their remaining vision effectively. The impact of developing AMD can be devastating to those who were independent and active prior to the onset of this impairment. Their visual world gradually diminishes into a vague blur, making ordinary daily activities challenging.
