Visual Rehabilitation of Patients with Age Related Macular Degeneration

Abstract

Objective: The objectives of this study were to determine the effectiveness of low vision devices for different visual functions in patients with age related macular degeneration. Introduction: With advances in medicine and life expectancy people are living longer and in most of the advanced countries ARMD is now the leading cause of low vision and blindness. Visual rehabilitation aims at helping the blind and low vision people to perform useful functions necessary in daily life by improving different aspects of visual functions such as visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, colour vision etc. Methods: It was an institution based descriptive /cross sectional study. A total of 50 patients, male 37 (74%), 13 female (26%) were with severe visual loss due to age related macular degeneration were examined. Results: After visual rehabilitation contrast sensitivity was improved in 84% of the patients while visual acuity was improved in 78% persons. Glare sensitivity was improved in 62% of the patients. Color vision was improved in only 36% patients while visual field was improved in 24% patients. Conclusion: Even though in our study only visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and glare sensitivity were improved, standard low-vision rehabilitation programs, conventional in-clinic assessments and low vision devices are effective ways of managing vision loss in ARMD.