Low vision doctor, Dr. Long, in front of eye chart discussing what is a low vision doctor

The Top 5 Questions to Ask Your Low Vision Doctor

The Top 5 Questions to Ask Your Low Vision Doctor

Navigating life with low vision can be a challenge. The condition refers to reduced visual acuity or field of vision that can’t be corrected with traditional glasses, contact lenses, or surgery. People with low vision may struggle with everyday tasks, such as reading, driving, watching TV, or shopping, resulting in a decreased quality of life. Fortunately, with the help of a low vision specialist near you, it may be possible to regain some independence and get back to the activities you enjoy. Here are the top five questions you should ask your low vision doctor to make the most of your consultation and continued care.

What is a Low Vision Doctor?

A low vision doctor is typically an optometrist or ophthalmologist who has specialized training to help patients with visual impairments beyond what traditional glasses or contact lenses can correct. In my case, I studied in New York City under Dr. Bruce Rosenthal and Dr. Eleanor Faye at Lighthouse Guild, the leading organization dedicated to addressing and preventing vision loss. Additionally, I did a VA residency, and in 2006, a mentorship to learn how to do advanced low vision care. Our practice, Midwest Low Vision, has been helping patients in the Bloomington, Clarksville, and Evansville, Indiana, and surrounding areas since 2006.

Low vision doctors are trained in the optics, physics, and use of high-powered lenses and lens systems and have in-depth understanding of principles of magnification, field of view, depth, and focus. Such specialists carry knowledge of the multitude of low vision glasses, magnifiers, electronic, and non-optical aids available.

How Can a Low Vision Doctor Help?

A low vision doctor helps by understanding your unique vision challenges and recommending specialized solutions to address them. We focus on your functional vision—the specific tasks you can, or cannot, see to do. While some optometrists may prescribe tools like handheld magnifiers, stand magnifiers with lights, or even very strong glasses, a low vision doctor like myself, practicing advanced low vision care, will prescribe specialized eyewear for whatever activity is on your “wish list.” Some devices commonly include:

  • Telescopic glasses: Telescopic glasses are special lenses designed to magnify distant and near objects, used for activities like watching TV or recognizing faces, and even reading or computer.
  • Microscopic glasses: These lenses assist with close-up tasks, such as reading, doing hand work, or performing other fine-detail work.
  • Prismatic lenses: Prismatic glasses shift images to improve focus and alignment; these are often used for double vision or eye coordination issues.
  • E-scoop glasses: This special eyewear features combined optics that magnify and enhance contrast and reduce glare for individuals with conditions like macular degeneration. E-scoop glasses can even help with driving, when appropriate.
  • Magnifiers: These are handheld or stand-up devices that enlarge text or objects. Different from ordinary magnifying glasses, these devices contain LED lights and other advanced features.
  • Non-optical visual, tactile, auditory, and other aids: special lamps, lights, talking devices, and more can assist with daily functional tasks.

What Are the Top Conditions Treated by a Low Vision Doctor?

This is kind of a “trick question” because, while your low vision doctor has a deep understanding of the causes of low vision, our primary focus is on how we can improve your sight. That said, low vision doctors see patients with a wide variety of conditions, such as:

  • Wet and dry macular degeneration: These affect central vision and are at the top of the list of most common conditions. Since 1997, I have seen thousands of patients with macular degeneration.
  • Albinism and ocular albinism: These are genetic conditions causing reduced vision and light sensitivity.
  • Stroke: A stroke can impair visual processing and cause partial vision loss.
  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI): TBI may result in visual field loss or difficulty processing images.
  • Optic neuropathy: Damage to the optic nerve can cause vision loss.
  • Double vision: This is a condition where two images of a single object appear.
  • Glaucoma: Glaucoma is a progressive eye disease that damages the optic nerve. Glaucoma that stems from an eye muscle or cranial nerve problem may benefit from low vision treatment.
  • Stargardt disease: This is an inherited retinal disease causing central vision loss similar to macular degeneration.
  • Diabetic retinopathy: Diabetic retinopathy consists of diabetes-related damage to retinal blood vessels.
  • Eye injury: Trauma to the eye can reduce vision.
  • Retinitis: Inflammation of the retina can lead to vision loss.
  • Inoperable cataract: While most cataracts can be surgically corrected nowadays, inoperable cases may benefit from low vision care.
  • Fuch’s corneal dystrophy: This is a rare condition which causes corneal clouding.
  • Macular holes: A macular hole is a small break in the macula which causes blurry or distorted vision.
  • Histoplasmosis: This is a fungal infection affecting the retina.

When Should You See a Low Vision Doctor?

When you start having difficulties with everyday activities like reading, watching TV, playing cards, seeing digital devices like your phone, and if you have already consulted with your regular optometrist and exhausted all corrective glasses or contact lens treatment, that is the time to see a low vision doctor. Your optometrist or ophthalmologist may provide a referral. Or, you may need to take action on your own and give us a call. The earlier you come in, the better chance for simpler, more effective solutions.

What Should You Expect From a Low Vision Doctor Consultation?

First, you want to make sure to schedule 1-2 hours of your time. This is not a regular eye examination. A low vision evaluation focuses on helping you regain the ability to do the tasks you are no longer able to do. Together we create a “wish list,” which may include activities like driving, reading, seeing faces, reading music, seeing digital devices, watching theater, or viewing sporting events. After determining functional needs, we then start trying out some devices, allowing you a chance to see through special glasses or use other aids before we prescribe. After identifying the best visual ads for your needs, we place the order. After the devices are received, usually around 3-4 weeks, we meet again to properly fit and train you on the devices. Most importantly, the care is ongoing. Should your vision change, should something feel “off” with your visual aids, we are here for you and will follow up to make sure everything possible is being done.

Bonus: How Do I Find a Low Vision Doctor?

If you’d like to consult with a low vision specialist near you, you can visit “Find a Doctor” on the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists (IALVS) website. Or, if you are located in the Midwest near Bloomington, Evansville, or Clarksville, Indiana, give us a call at 877-577-2040. We’re ready to help you get back to doing the activities you love.

Sophie! New glasses and contact lenses for aphakia.

Due to eye complications from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Sophie needed cataract surgery but was unable to have implants.  The condition on not having a natural lens is called aphakia and it requires a patient to have strong glasses or contact lenses.  Take a look at Sophie’s reaction to receiving new glasses with high-tech, super-modular lenses and her reaction to having comfortable soft contact lenses.

New Product to Help People with Stroke or Brain Related Injuries

What are Side Vision Awareness Glasses (SVAG)?

Side Vision Awareness Glasses® (SVAG) were developed by Dr. Errol Rummel of Jackson, NJ, after years of treating people with stroke-related,or brain injury related hemianopsia (side vision loss).

Hemianopsia (loss of half the width of your field of vision) is one of the most common side effects of a stroke or traumatic brain injury. People can find themselves afraid to go out, disoriented, and struggling to make it through their day.

How the London Bridge would look to someone with a hemianopsia

Benefits of Side Vision Awareness Glasses (SVAG)

1. A wide viewing area, allowing better field awareness. And because SVAG have a vertical edge, a patient just needs to move their eyes a couple of millimeters to get into the SVAG area of the lens. 

2. Cosmetically more attractive because the front of the lens is smooth, making the area with prism barely noticeable.

3. A higher index of refraction, so SVAG is a thinner, lighter, and more comfortable than other types of hemianopsia glasses.

Notice the prism on the right lens of this pair of SVAG.

New Design Exclusive to Midwest Low Vision

Typically, these glasses have a prism on the back of the lens so that someone can use it when they need to by shifting their eyes to the left or the right. However, Dr. Rummel generously gifted Dr. Jarrod Long a set of his brand new full-field side vision awareness glasses. The work similarly to the standard SVAG but the entire lens is specially designed to shift the missing part of your vision into view. This expands a person’s awareness of objects in their path and enhances peripheral vision. Currently, Midwest Low Vision is one of the only practices in the Midwest with the full field SVAG.

New Full-Field SVAG design

This is a pair of the new full-field glasses. Notice how there is no extra attachment on either lens- instead, the entire lens is designed to adjust the field of view. You can see how the lens shifts the image of the eye chart to the left. This specific type of lens is ideal for someone missing their right visual field. The new design allows someone to see more of their side vision without compromising the view right in front of them.

Dr. Long is specially trained to prescribe and dispense the right pair of glasses for you or your loved ones. If this sounds like something that would improve your quality of life, please call for more information!

Usually it’s just the ladies, but I was happy to get a big hug from a nice gentleman this afternoon!

patient wearing patriot viewpoint to see faces, TV, reading, computer
Our first Patriot Viewpoint dispensing and training.

As a low vision specialist, I like to find the simplest solutions to meet my patient’s goals. Sometimes it only takes a new, stronger pair of conventional glasses. Most of the time, however, it takes specialized telescopic, bioptic, microscopic, tinted, prismatic, and other styles of glasses.

Occasionally, none of these things work. More magnification than what optics will allow is needed. Enter “wearables” — magnification and vision enhancement technology that can be worn similarly to glasses. I have had the opportunity to try, and research, several of these emerging technological wonders. And trust me, there are many options out there with more being introduced regularly. They are all amazing!

It’s not new technology necessarily. It’s just that it has now become practical and realistically usable on a daily basis for multiple tasks on my patients’ “wish lists.” They are less cumbersome, more reliable, and more easily updated as software changes become available.

Casey, my head low vision technician, did all of the training today, but I was lucky enough to get the teary-eyed hug before he walked out the door. I have a feeling that won’t be the last hug from a patient whose vision is worse than 20/1000!

Dear Eye Care (or other) Provider,

Do you know or have you ever seen, a friend, patient, client, loved one or other who is unable to see to do something they want to be able to do? Take a look here at my article written for Optometric Management that explains when to make the referral. You could change YOUR patient’s life…and I WILL refer them back to you for the specialized care that you provide.

Here’s what Dwain had to say: “In dealing with the loss of most of my vision, I never thought I would ever be able to attend live sporting events again. With the help of Dr. Long and his great staff (Casey especially) I was able to enjoy one of my favorite pastimes.”

Happy Valentine’s Day from Midwest Low Vision!

Dwain has Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON).

Age, weather, level of vision, and other things to be mindful of…


It’s -9 degrees Fahrenheit (never mind the wind chill) and my sweet 107 year old patient had no problem beating me to the office this morning for low vision care

Often times when I speak with with family and caregivers of my potential patients I hear things like “but mom is 83 years old”. Or, “dad won’t want to make a trip that far to see you”. They often say “her vision is really, really poor,” or “he can’t spend that money,” or “[fill in the box].”

One of my roles as a low vision specialist is to see through all of that. I approach each case without bias or discrimination to get down to what really matters. My goal is to help my patients, or potential patients, understand that there is hope and possibility. No matter the circumstances, there may be a way that they can see to do what they want to be able to do!

I have patients of all ages from around the world. Some have levels of vision from 20/20 while others are well-beyond the “big E” on the eye chart. Simple magnifiers and special, custom tints can make big differences. So can more complex solutions like telescopic glasses with focusing caps or video/electronic devices.

Simply make the call to our office. I will talk with you directly to get specific, helpful information and see if it makes sense to schedule an appointment. It almost always does! We will go over important details such as costs, location, and what to bring to the appointment.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you, Dr. Long.

National Low Vision Meeting Summary

As one of the earliest members of the IALVS, Dr. Long attended his 7th annual meeting recently. Click here for a summary of speakers, topics, vendors, and other happenings at this exciting meeting!

What is different about a low vision exam?

In this video Dr. Long explains what you can expect during a low vision evaluation and what makes it different from other eye health examinations.  As you’ll see, the key difference is eye health versus functional vision.

During the low vision exam Dr. Long will help you formulate your “wish list” so there are specific goals to be addressed during the approximately hour-long appointment.

Take a look at this short video to learn more about what to expect and just why you might need more than one eye doctor!

A low vision patient reading with special glasses during the low vision exam

 

Meet Mary!

Mary has “rod achromatopsia.”  This is a condition you are born with characterized by a partial or total absence of color vision.  It also involves other problems with vision, like increased sensitivity to light and glare, involuntary back-and-forth eye movements (nystagmus), and significantly reduced sharpness of vision.

Mary at work with her glasses and low vision aids.

Mary was sent to Dr. Long through Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services to meet some vision-related goals.  After a thorough low vision evaluation, Dr. Long prescribed several low vision aids. Mary uses bioptic telescopic glasses, prismatic reading glasses, a “Ruby” electronic magnifier, and specially-tinted regular glasses and sunglasses. All of these devices help Mary work, read, and participate in her favorite activities. 

Mary had this to say about her experience with Midwest Low Vision:  

“My association with the low vision department at Long Family Eye Care has always been a positive and helpful experience.  My most recent visits introduced me to visual aids and glasses that enable me to function at the highest level possible with my visual impairment.  The extra time Dr. Jarrod Long and Casey spent with me was informative, kind, and life-changing.  Without question, the most current information and low vision assistance available.”

Thanks Mary! 

If you or a loved one could benefit from our services, like Mary, please contact us today for a free phone consultation.

New Office Location for Midwest Low Vision in New Albany area!

Thank you to Dr. Braaten for 12 good years of allowing Dr. Long to care for low vision patients in your New Albany office!

Now, since Dr. Braaten recently closed his practice, Midwest Low Vision has had to find a new home.  We are using the local vocational rehabilitation office at 1452 Vaxter Avenue in Clarksville, Indiana.  Click here for a link to a map of the location.  For those of you who have been waiting, we’ll see you soon!

Finally, we want to send out a special “thank you” to the staff and counselors at the rehabilitation services office for allowing us to use their office for low vision evaluations for anyone in need of help.