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Reading telescopic glasses are designed to enhance near or intermediate vision. Mobility is not practical with a reading telescopic pair of glasses and one should never try to walk while wearing them.
The telescopes are typically mounted in the bottom of the carrier lenses and angled down making it comfortable to read or work on tasks up close. They can be mounted on-center for computer use as well. Prescription focal lenses are mounted into the telescopes to change the focus to the desired reading/working distance. Some of the tasks and activities patients have used their reading telescopic glasses for include:
• Reading
• Sewing and other Hand-work
• Computer
• Music
• Word and Jigsaw Puzzles
• Electronic Devices, such as Cell Phones and Tablets

Technical Information:
Reading telescopic glasses are comprised of the following optical properties:
1. Telescopes are constructed of glass lenses mounted in a plastic housing.
2. Strengths available: 1.7x and 2.2x.
3. Special lens “caps” can be added to change the focal length for alternative working distances.
4. Prescription capability in a variety of options, such as single vision, astigmatism, and prism.
5. Scratch-resistant hard coating and anti-reflective treatment.
When these optical properties are combined into reading telescopic glasses, a patient will be able to read and do other near or intermediate work they are unable to do with their regular glasses.

Basic Instructions for Reading Telescopic Glasses:
1. Objects will look bigger, closer, and easier to see through the telescopes.
2. Lighting is important when using your telescopic glasses. Dr. Long recommends a goose-neck style lamp with the light directed at your target from a close distance.
3. With your strength of magnification, you will need to hold your reading materials at the specified distance. To set the correct distance while getting used to the glasses you need to pull your materials up to your nose and then pull them away from your face until they become clear through the telescope.
4. DO NOT WALK in your reading telescopic glasses because straight edges and flat surfaces may appear curved through the telescope and your depth perception may be changed.
5. There may be some adjustment time getting used to viewing and seeing through a smaller area than you are used to. Dr. Long recommends practicing five minutes, five times a date for the first week.
6. Possible side effects are headache, nausea, and dizziness. These symptoms are temporary. Be sure to take a break from wearing them if you experience any of these symptoms.

CLEANING YOUR TELESCOPIC GLASSES
• DO NOT expose to large amounts of liquid.
• DO NOT place under running water.
• DO NOT immerse in water or lens cleaner.
• DO NOT spray eyeglass cleaner directly onto the glasses.
The air space between the front and back lens can trap liquids and impair performance.
Spray eyeglass cleaner onto one end of a cleaning cloth until damp then gently wipe the glasses clean. Polish clean lenses with the dry end of the cloth.

To contact us please call 877-577-2040 or visit our website, www.midwestlowvision.com. –Thank you, Dr. Jarrod Long

Did you know lighting in the home is critical for even daily tasks? It’s even more so for those with vision loss. Recent findings reveal that better home lighting can significantly improve the physical activity levels of older adults with visual impairments. According to a study published in JAMA Ophthalmology, enhanced home lighting is linked to increased mobility and more active daily routines.

This study, led by researchers from the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University, involved 153 older adults who wore activity trackers for a week. The results indicated that improved lighting conditions were associated with a higher number of daily steps and faster walking speeds. This suggests that good lighting can play a crucial role in helping individuals with visual impairments stay active and independent.

Our Low Vision Doctor: Enhancing Your Daily Living

Our low vision doctor understands the profound impact that proper home lighting can have on your daily life. While our primary focus is on prescribing customized low vision glasses and devices, we also take the time to discuss the importance of optimizing your home lighting to improve the function of the prescriptions. From simple magnifiers to advanced wearable assistive devices, low vision devices that we provide are most effective when complemented by a well-lit environment.

Committed to Your Independence

As a proud member of the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists (IALVS), our doctor is dedicated to promoting life after vision loss. We believe in a comprehensive approach to low vision care, one that includes not only the best optical devices but also practical advice on enhancing your living spaces. Proper lighting can significantly impact your ability to move around safely and engage in daily activities, contributing to a more active and independent lifestyle.

Call Us for a Low Vision Consultation

Are you or a loved one struggling with vision loss? Call us for a low vision consultation at 877-577-2040. Our low vision doctor and low vision technician will work with you to find low vision glasses and devices and offer personalized advice on improving your home lighting. By addressing both your visual needs and your home environment, we aim to enhance your mobility and overall quality of life. Take the first step towards a more independent and active life today.

Here is a case study including a dispensing visit with Holly, our lead low vision technician. Mr. B is 50 years old and was referred by his ophthalmologist who is giving him anti-VEGF injections in each eye for wet macular degeneration. His low vision evaluation took place recently at our satellite office in Clarksville, Indiana (just across the river from Louisville) and the dispensing visit took place at our main office in Bloomington, Indiana.
With best glasses correction, Mr. B sees 20/300 in the right eye and 20/50 in the left eye. His goals are driving, reading, seeing his laptop computer, and overhead projections at work. I prescribed Ocutech Sport II bioptics for driving and seeing overheads, reading telescopic glasses for hands-free reading and using his laptop computer, and an Explore 12 portable video magnifier.

Additionally, we ordered an IRD (inherited retinal disease) genetic test kit at no additional charge to Mr. B and prescribed an evaluation with a Certified Driving Rehabilitation Specialist for him to obtain nighttime driving privileges. Of note, the telescopic glasses and video magnifier Holly dispensed to Mr. B are exactly the things she uses on a daily basis to help her function with Stargardt disease. So, she truly knows how to use these glasses and devices!

What a patient is always thinking, but sometimes only shares when the low vision doctor leaves the room.
Yes, you need different pairs for different goals.
Yes, they look funny.
Yes, they are complicated.
Yes, they are more expensive than regular glasses.
…and Yes, they are heavier too.
But, we agree, reading and TV are pretty important when you live alone.

Binasal occlusion is a method of partially, or fully, blocking the visual field toward the nose in each eye. It can be effective for patients who have had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and now suffer from visual motion sensitivity and/or other conditions related to Post Trauma Vision Syndrome. This patient’s “trauma” was due to brain surgery for cancer. How and why it helps these patients, and some with other related conditions, is not fully understood. But, a provider of advanced low vision services can evaluate and help symptomatic TBI patients. Contact us at Midwest Low Vision today!

Who should you refer for advanced low vision care and is it your responsibility to do so?  Are you a “Five-Percenter?”  I promise to explain, but first consider, really consider, this common question I’ve been asked over the past 25 years:

 

“Why didn’t one of my other eye doctors

tell me about you (sooner)?”  – Patient

To be fair, maybe you didn’t realize that a referral for low vision care was appropriate, or maybe you didn’t know it was your responsibility.  Well today, I offer you some guidance on both counts.

Before I help explain “who” to refer for low vision care, I believe it’s important to know “why” it should be YOU referring YOUR patient.  And…I’ve actually just given you the answer.  She is YOUR patient and no one knows her better than you do!  She is relying on YOU to help her see what she wants, and needs to see, in order to function in this world.

 

“Secondary and Tertiary Care Ophthalmologists

are not Referrers.”  – Dr. Long

By definition, they are almost always being Referred To.  They provide a specialty service for YOUR patient.  While many of them recognize the need, and do refer regularly for low vision care, they are not gatekeepers.  I believe it is the primary eye care doctor’s responsibility to refer for low vision care.

Now, with the “why you?” question answered, on to Who to Refer for Advanced Low Vision Care:

Put quite simply, any individual with an unmet functional vision complaint.  Complaints are commonly related to reading, driving, working, watching television, doing handwork, using the computer, improving mobility, and enjoying various hobbies.  See if any of these examples of what to listen for sound familiar to you:

 

20/30 – 20/50  “I can read but it’s a strain and I never wore those strong glasses you prescribed last time.”  “The crawler on the TV is too small to read and goes by too fast.”  “Driving is OK as long as I stay local…I can’t read signs as far off as I’d like.”

20/60 – 20/160  “I can only read in natural sunlight and on certain days…usually just large print.”  “My daughter has to take care of my check register and read my mail.”  “I can only make out details on the TV when I walk up to it.”  “Dr. Retina said I probably shouldn’t be driving, but that he wouldn’t turn me in.  What do you think?”  “My job has become very difficult, especially certain programs on the computer that I can’t use the built-in magnifier with.”  “I’m afraid people think I’m rude because I don’t recognize them when I’m out.”

20/200 – 20/400  “I quit driving after a scare, but I would at least like to be able to read my own mail and see my iPad.”  “The text size on my phone is maxed-out and it’s still tough to read, and forget about seeing the pictures!”  “Mostly, I listen to the TV.”

20/500 +  “I’m looking for anything that’s available.  Do you know anyone that might have something that could help me see?”

Visual field loss (e.g., retinitis pigmentosa, hemianopsia) and Traumatic Brain Injury symptoms  “I feel anxious at the grocery store.”  “I’m very sensitive to certain lighting conditions.”  “Can I drive?!”  “Reading and computer work are real chores! ”  “I bump into people and they think I’m just rude or clumsy.”  “Sometimes I see double.”

 

Please don’t wait to refer until prompted by the patient at the “20/500+” level of vision.  If you’re just not sure, there’s certainly no shame in referring for what turns-out-to-be simply a good trial frame refraction.  And remember, she is YOUR patient.  I’m sending her back to you for her “regular” glasses and/or routine medical eye care.  I’ll only see her again when you tell me her low vision needs have changed.

Whether at my main office in Bloomington, Indiana, or at a satellite location, I am practicing as a specialist.  Your patient is YOUR patient…just the way it should be.  Now, if nothing else, simply make sure they know low vision care exists.

By the way, when I see a patient you have referred, I often tell them:

“Your Doctor is a ‘Five-Percenter’ (meaning you are part of the minority of primary care eye doctors

who refer for low vision care) and you should be grateful for such a thoughtful doctor!”

Thank you and please share our information, or share a well-qualified low vision provider’s information in your area, with your patients or loved ones with vision loss.  While we see most of our patients by referral, all calls are welcome to see if we can help.  Call 1-877-577-2040 and speak directly with me or our low vision technician, Holly.

Dr. Jarrod Long

Is there such a thing as a typical day of low vision care?

When caring for the functional vision wants and needs of patients who are partially-sighted and legally blind, it takes knowledge, expertise, and experience. Simply having a technician hand a patient different magnifiers, filters, and the like just doesn’t cut it in my opinion.

Come with me in the video and visit with a couple of patients who are thrilled as they pick up the glasses we chose together in order to help them see and function better!

The first young man has a very limited field of vision (traumatic brain injury, TBI) and he particularly wanted help in seeing downward for mobility purposes. The second patient needed to see details at a distance more clearly secondary to having 20/100 vision from macular degeneration.

Thanks for reading and watching.  Give us a call if you have any questions or would like to schedule a low vision evaluation.

Introducing our newest Midwest Low Vision employee, Holly! 👋
Casey has been working closely with Holly as she will be taking over as Dr. Jarrod’s Low Vision Technician (don’t worry, Casey’s not going anywhere!).  Holly started her career in Optometry in 2006 and has held many roles in the field since then.
In 2013, Holly was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, which is a retinal disease similar to Macular Degeneration & results in a loss of central vision. Since then, Holly has developed a great passion for helping those with Low Vision.  She has volunteered for The Foundation Fighting Blindness & assists with their annual Vision Walk each year.  When Holly isn’t working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, 3 children & their dog. She looks forward to meeting and working with all of our wonderful patients! 💙👁

Practicing maximally effective low vision care requires open-minded empathy coupled with knowledge and creativity.
To be maximally effective I feel that you need to be able to “put yourself in the patient’s shoes” to the fullest extent that you are able.
THEN, you must have done your homework and have the experience to know what is available that might be able to meet their needs.
FINALLY…(and this is the fun part!)…you must “think outside the box” and ask yourself if there might be a better way to solve this patient’s particular problem(s).

— Dr. Jarrod Long

Come along with Dr. Long on an office tour!

We’ll start outside and work through the low vision patient experience from the patient’s perspective.  Dr. Long narrates and explains various details and expectations of the visit.

Every day we see patients who need the various glasses and devices described in the video, such as bioptics and bioptic telescopic glasses.