Sankara’s Low Vision Clinic provides the best possible management for persons with low vision. Low vision is uncorrectable vision loss that interferes with daily activities. It is permanently reduced vision that cannot be corrected with regular glasses, contact lenses, medicine or surgery.
Causes
- Age related degeneration of macula/retina
- Glaucoma
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Retinitis pigmentosa
- Disorders of cornea and corneal opacity
- Optic nerve problems
- Injury to brain(stroke)
Management
- Evaluation of low vision
- Evaluation and prescription of optical and non-optical low vision devices.
- Training in the use of low vision devices.
Steps in the evaluation of Low vision
- Case history or intake questions with doctor and rehabilitation personnel present.
- Measurement of distance acuity with current spectacles.
- Retinoscopy and trial frame subjective refraction with best corrected visual acuity measurements.
- Near visual acuity using text or word reading charts.
- Predict equivalent viewing distance required to attain good print size.
- Visual fields.
- Binocular vision testing as needed.
- Color vision testing as needed.
- Evaluation of patients ability to use low vision.
- Evaluation of optical, non optical and electronic magnifying devices.
- Prescribing, dispensing or recommendations for low vision.
Low Vision Clinic Services at Sankara
- Evaluating the levels of low vision in patients.
- Training in the use of low vision devices.
- Evaluation and prescription of Low vision Devices.
- Information and Referral services.
- Referral letters to Schools/colleges for making special arrangements for low vision patients, if needed.
- Referral to orientation and mobility instructors, if needed.
Devices to correct Low vision
Devices for distance
- Telescope
Devices for near
- Spectacle magnifier
- Stand magnifier
- Hand held magnifier
- Dome magnifier
- Pocket magnifier
- Fresnel sheet magnifier
Non optical devices
- Notex
- Typoscope
- Letter writer
- Signature guide
- Tinted lenses
Visual enhancement techniques
- Head scanning
- Eccentric viewing
- Visual tracking skills.