Category: Low Vision Clinic

Posted in Low Vision Clinic, Useful Information

Wear your sunglasses to protect your vision

Posted on by One Vision

It’s been a lovely few days in England right now and whilst the sunshine is beautiful, it brings with it, alot of exciting plans and a better mindset, but it can bring pain and discomfort to people like me with Photophobia (Extreme light sensitivity) and damage to sight whilst protecting  my eyeballs at the same time. These glasses have taken away the discomfort and pain I was getting before when I just had the usual type of sunglasses you wear normally.

Apart from that.  Everyone, Visually impaired or not, with continued exposure to light and the sunshine harmful rays over time could lead to damage to your retinal cells.

So everyone needs to wear protection from blue light, UVA and UVB. Even on cloudy days these rays are still going strong. So it’s worth just popping them on. You’ll thank yourself later.

The Sun can cause more damage to my already vulnerable macular and cone and rod cells.

It can also cause damage and sightloss to anyone with 20/20 vision too. Nobody is safe.

It’s worth investing in good protective sunglasses with all the safety specifications you can get. Cheap ones most likely won’t provide this.  You can pick up sunglasses with really good protection that doesn’t cost the earth but please really think to buy some to save worry and problems later on.

It may save your eyesight now and as you get older.

It’s not worth being complacent over your eyeballs. Can you imagine losing your sight? Or it being compromised?

Luckily, where I live, the council has a Sight Loss Clinic that gave me magnification tools and my Cocoons sunglasses, for free, that protect me from the harmful light sunshine brings.

Please check with your council if they provide this service as alot don’t.

Also. Blue light is emitted from the sun, its all around us, including fluorescent and LED lighting and flat-screen televisions.
Most notably, the display screens of computers, electronic notebooks, smartphones and other digital devices emit significant amounts of blue light.
So, if you protect your eyes from all these elements as much as you can by less screen time, rests between working on a computer and wearing sunglasses with 100% UV protection and ideally a blue light blocker too. It will go some way to save your sight and mine too.
There are blue light blocking apps for your devices.
Pop one your phone to save your eyes from damage or eye strain. I have one from the Google play store. There are many eye conditions that you can be diagnosed with when older due to light damage. Even if your eyes are healthy now.
So, get your sunglasses on and a blue light filter.

Don’t take your eyesight for granted.

I did. I Don’t now ☺

Photograph of myself with long brown hair wearing Black Cocoons sunglasses
PICTURE DESCRIPTION 1 Photograph of myself with long brown hair wearing Black Cocoons sunglasses
Black Cocoons sunglasses placed on carpet face down
PICTURE DESCRIPTION 2 Black Cocoons sunglasses placed on carpet face down
Side view of Cocoons sunglasses with enclosed sides
PICTURE DESCRIPTION 3 Side view of Cocoons sunglasses enclosed sides
Posted in Low Vision Clinic, Useful Information

Low Vision Clinic – Magnifiers

Posted on by One Vision
PICTURE DESCRIPTION Cartoon depiction of myself with long red hair, holding a. Magnifying glass up to my face

I’ve got 3 magnifiers from the clinic.

The first is a small pocket one that is for looking at price labels, sizes of clothes. Stuff like that when you’re out and about. Just one or two words basically to help you shop easier. Can fit in your bag sometimes you can carry it around with you. This also has a light when you slide it out of the holder.

PICTURE DESCRIPTION Picture of handheld small Eschenbach easyPOCKET magnifier

The second is a stronger one. This is handheld but also has a stand that come with it. You just slide the handle into the holder if you want to use it and it props it up. I can honestly say doing my nails now has been a pleasure rather than a chore. It doesn’t look like I’ve had a 4 year old paint my nails anymore. No more just painting on dark colours over the stuff that was already on cos you can really see the definition between your natural nail colour and your skin beside it.

Also reading cooking instructions or a letter is when this is the most useful I reckon.

When you want to read something with this. You hold the magnifier stable and move the book or paper instead. I’ve got to shut one eye for this to focus though. It also has a light.

PICTURE DESCRIPTION Picture of Eschenbach Mobilux led magnifer in holder

The next is a big screened device. RubyHD You can change the colours of the text and background to whichever ones suits you. Screenshots can also be taken of photos and you can zoom in to see them more clearly.

You move this device down the page of a magazine or whatever you’re trying to read. You can also make the text bigger or smaller by the plus and minus buttons at the side.

PICTURE DESCRIPTION Picture of Ruby HD magnifier

Amazing what’s out there that can help you out. All free as well as long as you agree to send them back if you aren’t using them anymore. Please ask first though if your council provide this for free. I’m lucky I’m somewhere that does. Other places you have to pay. It’s really lovely that this service is available.

Posted in How I'm Adapting, Low Vision Clinic

Low Vision Clinic – Sunglasses

Posted on by One Vision

One of the first things I’ve tried is the sunglasses. To help my life be a little easier. I’ve learnt through my ‘people who can’t see good’ group, that I’ve got to be more proactive and organised, because they certainly are. An amazing bunch of people. I was out with a few of them for a drink last night ☺

So the first item that I was very hesitant to use, mainly wear, are my new sunglasses.

PICTURE DESCRIPTION Picture of my sunglasses face downwards.
PICTURE DESCRIPTION Picture of the side view of my sunglasses

I love my ordinary, everyday ones. They form, and are a part of my identity. My usual sense of style isn’t everyones, but it’s my very own. So wearing anything I haven’t picked myself doesn’t sit well. I’m rather self conscious in them so far, but the pros outway the cons rather largely. I’m sure this will fade with time. Sometimes you’ve got to try and accept decisions that aren’t or were never going to be your choice ever, however hard they maybe. As my best mate says. It sometimes looks like I’ve glued myself up, walked into the wardrobe to see what sticks.

I’ve been away for the weekend and tested them out whilst there.

Because I have Photophobia, the sun and glare is a real problem. Even on cloudy, or overcast days. Anytime of year. Usually I stay out of the sun, keep sunglasses on and sometimes still have to deal with pain around my eyes later or an almighty headache. On recent occasions, this has lasted a few days.

So when I was out on Saturday, I popped these on. They have a grey lense as they dulled the brightness for me more than the amber lenses did.

I sat in the full sun by the water for the first time in years as my eyes felt comfortable and it wasn’t bright or didn’t glare at all.

Must admit, I was abit nervous as I continued to sit in the sun other than going into the water nearby. Thinking I would pay for it later on in the day.

I didn’t.

And haven’t since!

So these sunglasses have cured a big problem to me.

They are by Cocoons Sunwear. Black/Grey C402G. Polarised, flexy temples and scratch resistant.A

Aviator style. Side lenses to block out even more of the suns brightness. Sorted!

PICTURE DESCRIPTION Black and white photo of myself looking to camera with my sunglasses on. Lips are red.