What looks like a normal activity is actually a remarkable feat for Barbara Whitlock.
"It was almost mind-boggling really. I could actually see to read. It made me want to cry to tell you the truth," she said.
A combination of cataracts and macular degeneration stole her sight. Her passion - keeping up with the news - was taken away until she got a special pair of glasses.
"This doesn't cure anything, but what this does, is it allows people with the condition to function better," said Dr. Jeffrey Sonsino, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Nashville, TN
The condition is called low vision. It's what happens when macular degeneration, diabetes or glaucoma damage the eyes, and their vision can't be fixed with regular glasses, contacts or surgery.
Dr. Sonsino created the glasses. They combine a high-powered led light in the frame, magnifying lenses, and prism correction that prevents eye fatigue.
"Those three things together provide magnification and enhanced contrast when the patient is reading at very close distance," he said.
In a study, the glasses improved patients' reading abilities by almost 90 percent.
The cost for the glasses is still being researched, but they are expected to be more affordable than a pair of bifocals.
To add a comment, please register or login.