Managing Macular Degeneration

There are many resources available to help you adjust to changes in your vision. Although the effects of AMD are not reversible, the condition rarely causes complete blindness. Some steps you can take to learn to live with the condition:

• Learn more about it. Written or taped materials are available through state agencies and nonprofit organizations. Talking with others who have coped with similar experiences can also be very beneficial.
• Explore the availability of adjustment classes. Tasks as familiar as dressing in the morning and cooking a meal become new challenges after vision loss. While not common, "adjustment classes" are available in some communities that teach alternative techniques to help maintain independence and foster the patience and confidence that are required to live with diminished sight on a daily basis.
• Find low-vision aids that are useful to you. Ask your ophthalmologist to direct you to a low-vision consultant in your community. A number of low-vision aids can help you take advantage of your remaining sight. Enlargers like magnifying glasses are very popular. Books and devices with enlarged or high-contrast print, talking clocks and appliances, and text-reading software can also make life easier.
• Seek counseling. Like any other major life event, losing one's eyesight can bring on feelings of loneliness, helplessness, anxiety, and depression. Doctors, state agencies, and nonprofit organizations offer counseling services for those with vision loss and can provide referrals to other professionals based on individual needs.
• Understand the grieving process. The loss of sight can initially be devastating. Understanding the normal process of grieving associated with the loss of sight can help you and your loved ones cope with these emotional challenges.