Special macular degeneration glasses are designed to help by correcting axial deviation, optimising the visual field and improving visual acuity and contrast perception.
They have been recommended by opticians and health insurance companies for several years. But what are these glasses actually good for? Find the answer here.
The Prerequisites for the Use of Glasses for Macular Degeneration (AMD)
Wet and dry macular degeneration or age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the main cause of blindness in old age in Germany. More or less large areas of the retina of the eye are damaged.
The field of vision is restricted. Certain image contents are no longer visible, straight lines appear curved or bent to those affected.
Unfortunately, the treatment options are limited; both medicinal and surgical treatments have not yet brought the hoped-for breakthrough.
Macular Degeneration Glasses – Real Help or Fallacy?
The theoretical concepts initially appear plausible and comprehensible to the patient. The eye, with its retinal receptors, serves to receive light and transmit the information to the brain. However, the actual seeing takes place in the brain.
A slight deviation in the axis of the eyes means that images taken by the eyes can no longer be sent to the brain congruently. This leads to an extra workload on the brain in order to still combine the two images into one.
With macular degeneration glasses, the brain should be supported and relieved in its work with macular degeneration in the dry and wet form. This should enable the brain to achieve better regulation of the eye.
A regeneration of the eyes, which are to a certain extent a part of the brain, is also the goal of such efforts.
Chances and Risks of Special Macular Degeneration Glasses (AMD)
Redirection of Image Stimuli Through the Glasses
In macular degeneration, more or less large regions of the retina are destroyed so that they can no longer transmit light stimuli to the nervous system. Therefore, the idea came up to redirect the received image to the still intact areas of the macula using macular degeneration glasses.
These glasses are equipped with a prismatic lens. In addition, they have a contrast-enhancing coating.
Manufacturers of Macular Degeneration Glasses are Making High Promises
In addition to optimising the field of vision, these glasses should also lead to improved visual acuity and contrast perception. The regulatory mechanisms of the eye are relieved. The result is a regeneration of the eyes, which in turn should prevent the progression of macular degeneration.
Glasses for Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) in Everyday Life
So much for the theory. Glasses with these features would be a real blessing for patients with macular degeneration. In practice, the effect of these glasses is rather sobering.
After all, macular degeneration, both the wet and dry forms, is not an optical problem. From a physiological point of view, there is a circulatory and metabolic disorder of the macula.
It therefore seems impossible to try to regulate the body’s metabolism by putting on glasses.
Can Macular Degeneration Glasses Regulate Metabolism?
As a logical consequence, arteriosclerosis and other circulatory disorders of the tissues should also be positively influenced by these macular degeneration glasses. Unfortunately, such a promising healing mechanism cannot and will not work.
On the other hand, there are areas of application in which the use of prism glasses, in addition to an appropriate therapy, can certainly be of complementary help. One example is dyslexia (reading and spelling difficulties).
Here, however, we are dealing with a disorder that is related to image processing in the brain and makes reading difficult, i.e. a visual problem.
Conclusion: Glasses for macular degeneration – is that a good match?
- With macular degeneration, wearing glasses can definitely help you to cope better with everyday life. They can make it easier to find your way around and have a positive effect on your quality of life – but unfortunately that’s all they can do.
- Glasses can only have an effect on the visual correction of macular degeneration. Wet and dry macular degeneration, however, is a circulatory and metabolic disorder of the eye.
- And: Of course, such glasses also have their price – whether financed by the health insurance or privately.
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