With some adjustments, people with low vision can live independently in their own homes, continue to carry out daily activities and take pleasure in hobbies. In the home, remember the following general guidelines: increase lighting for tasks; control glare; use magnification; and increase contrast. Over time, people with low vision will likely come up with individual, innovative solutions to reflect their needs, help them function better in the home and increase their enjoyment of life. Seek help through friends, family and volunteer groups to implement these adaptations.
Improving other Senses
Hearing Better
Listening to books on tape and CDs, and using listening skills more may seem difficult at first, but will become easier over time. After an initial period of adjustment, most people with low vision are surprised to find out how much information they can obtain from their senses of hearing, touch and even smell.
Listening more means remembering more. Most people never fully develop the ability to remember what they hear because there is no need. Improving listening skills means giving full attention to what is heard rather than dividing attention between what is seen and what is heard. Those with low vision may still receive visual cues from eyesight, but most of their attention will now need to be shifted to listening. As people grow more accustomed to listening to books, newspapers and magazines on tape and CDs, and working with screen-reader software, gradually more of what is heard will be remembered.
People can learn to “tune in to” their sense of hearing in many practical ways that will assist in daily activities. For example, learning to locate the sound of the hum of the refrigerator can signal you are entering the kitchen. Or, the sound of cars and other outside street noises will indicate an open window and its location.
Using Touch
Those with low vision can also learn to rely more on the sense of touch in many practical ways. Selecting clothes from the closet, for example, will be easier if a person focuses on the textures of fabrics and associates them with mental pictures of certain garments.
When there is severe vision loss, using a cane or walker outdoors allows an individual to use the sense of touch to get more information about the environment. These “feelers” will help detect changes in the pavement, the closeness of objects and the presence of stairs. Even without a cane or walker, using the feet to feel the way, especially when climbing or descending stairs, can augment diminished vision and prevent dangerous falls.
Protection from the Sun
While excessive exposure to sunlight has not been linked to glaucoma, protection from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a good idea. UV radiation is composed of invisible, high-energy, sunlight just beyond the violet or blue end of the visible spectrum. It is usually divided into three categories of radiation, UV-C, UV-B and UV-A. UV-C radiation is absorbed in the ozone layer, but UV-A and UV-B are damaging to skin and eyes.
To protect eyesight, physicians recommend sunglasses that block 98-100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B rays and screen out 75-90 percent of visible light. Sunglasses don’t have to be expensive, but they should be properly labeled. Those that meet minimum standards established by the American Optometric Association (AOA) can use the AOA seal of acceptance. The best sunglasses are those that completely cover the eye and eyelids, and wrap around to the temples to prevent light from entering the sides. Brimmed hats provide additional protection.
Ways to Make Life Easier
Dealing with any loss of vision isn’t easy, but there are a variety of physical and psychological ways people with glaucoma and their families can adjust to “a new way of seeing.”
- Consult a low vision therapist who can make personalized recommendations for daily living activities. More information can be found on our website.
- Consider using low vision aids.
- Measure your own eye pressure by using a portable tonometer. Portable tonometers allow people to check eye pressure at home. Correct use of these tonometers requires training, but they can be helpful for those who have difficulty visiting a doctor for multiple readings that may be needed for an accurate diagnosis. The patient (or family member) can take readings at various times of the day, per a doctor’s instructions, and then bring the results to the doctor for the final reading. Check with a physician about the practicality and affordability of portable tonometers.