Macular degeneration

[PerkyOchrePeer]

I've had mavular degeneration for a few years and it's the dry kind. I usually have my eyes scared so they can see the back of the eye and see how it's progressing. At my usual routine eye test the usual optometrist was not available so I saw someone else. The person I saw said do you want your eyes scanned? I was shocked because I thought it was routine. I said yes and said if we dont scan my eyes how can we see if the disease has worsened or how much macular has developed and she said I won't do it if you say no. I dont like this attitude. I dont want to see this optometrist again. I was told she has been at the practice for 30 years. That doesn't mean she's good. No other optometrist has given me the option of having the scan.its like going to the dentist and being given the option of an xray. A mouth xray can pick up things that the naked eye cannot and so is essential.

It was a TV program about the developments being made to help people with sight loss cope. So he looked at things like AI and driverless cars.

It was a bit like the old TV show Tomorrow’s World but everything shown could be used to help you navigate an aspect of life of you can’t see very well.

It’s on the iPlayer now

That is an excellent description @thatoldchestnut

@PerkyOchrePeer For the grid test you are looking for a change from your normal. So even with dry there can slightly irregular lines (particularly if you are doing it without glasses so have uncorrected astigmatism) and the macula in one eye can be more affected than the other.
The grid is most useful when you have looked at what your normal is -having had a recent OCT scan that excludes wet changes. Then check once a week for if something looks different- so central
blurriness or changes in the amount or position of any wavy lines .
If it does look different with one eye then book and have another eye test with OCT scan within a week.
Have a look at the macular society and sign up to their newsletter/webinars. It’s always best to know what to look out for and be able to get the most from your optometrist appointments . It’s the communication that really matters at medical appointments so you feel you know what is being done and why.

Macular degeneration runs in my dads side of my family my dad had it and two of his sisters had it. No idea where they inherited it from because their mother never had it and their father died when they were kids and as far as I know my dad nor his sisters never wanted to know who they picked it up from. As far as I know they just got on with their lives knowing they had this ege disease. I know I picked it up from my dad because he was diagnosed with it and my mum wasnt. Having said that I know a lady who in her 70s and her sister has the wet macular and she hasn't got it. Mind you, she could still get it be ause my dad was 80 when he was diagnosed

One of the things the optomertrist asked me when I saw her was do you drive. Considering I have macular degeneration it was a silly question because it would be dangerous to drive with distorted vision even though my vision isn't that bad when walking down the street etc but the DVLA would ban someone with mac degeneration as they could not accurately read road signs

Asking about driving is part of normal history & symptoms questions.

It’s not uncommon for people with AMD to drive, it very much depends on the severity, and even it is IS severe enough that the vision does not meet DVLA standards, I can assure you that almost every Optometrist I know has had a conversation with a patient about the fact that they shouldn’t be driving, even though they’ve no doubt been told before.

Ny eyesight has got slightly worse over the last month the nacular has increases slightly but I can still see well enough to see people etc. Im getting quite scared when I read about the actress judi dench who has macular degeneration and hers is now so bad she cannot see people anymore. I used to be so laid back but now I am petrified. O was told by someone nit to compare myself to others my issue is that whatever I have wrong I look at others with the same thing who are worse abd assume I will end up like them. This is not a healthy state of mind

You really shouldn't do that. The leaflet you get in advance of the scan says you mustn't drive for 4 hours afterwards

Why do people who have no idea about macular degeneration think the answer is just get stronger glasses. I use a magnifier and needed stronger reading glasses but also at magnifier as they dont make glassed the same strength as the magnifyer

It usually costs a little more and legally you have to be asked to consent.

When you phone the optician to make the appointment they usually ask then. I usually have the receptionist ask. At my recent appointment she asked and I said yes. On the day of the appointment the ootomertrist asked the same question. A few years ago when I was going to spectators, the optomertrist said he was giving me a scan. He did not give me the option so I just assumed that if you have an eye disease these scans are essential and not an option and that was why I was surprised when the optomertrist asked if I wanted it.

Its like going to the dentist and not having an xray because an xray can pick up things that can't be seen with the naked eye and ive always had an xray and never been asked if I want one.

I am a bit suspicious of ootomertrists who ask if you want the scan. Its not an option abd I sorry but I dont want to see an optomertrist who asks if I want the scan. So I won't be seeing this woman again

My usual optomertrist was booked until January and that's the only reason I saw someone else I was told if I want the usual optomertrist I have to book 2 months ahead as she is very popular and the readkn is because she is extremely good. Its just not worth paying to see someone who is mediocre. They are my eyes and I am entitled to see someone I trust and I dont trust the woman I saw

I have had AMD (dry) for about eight years. It's not usual to be referred to the eye clinic unless you start seeing wavy lines on the Amsler chart, then that becomes an emergency. Mine has been stable until this year when more drusen was discovered at my annual eye test. One of the things that bothers me is the poor facial recognition which is a nuisance. I often end up not recognising people I know well until they are very close to me, or waving to complete strangers!

Most opticians recommend taking Macushield. You won't really know if it's working or not, but it should certainly help to slow down any progression. Dame Judi Dench has lost pretty much all of her central vision now and has to learn her lines via audio which she really struggles to do.

Wow ive had dry AMD for more than 8 years and have never had issues recognising people. Are you sure you dont have the wet

As for judi dench she is now almost blind

100%. It's definitely dry. It's well-known that it can affect facial recognition. Yours might not be as bad as mine.

She still has her peripheral vision, it's just that her central vision has gone due to the AMD.

The Opticians Act defines what MUST be included within an eye examination (and even those things, you just gain explicit consent for). It is absolutely not correct (nor ethical) to assume that somebody wants extra tests which are chargeable, regardless of their eye health.

That being said, there are optometrists that will.