Help With Viewing Television
Overcoming macular degeneration and other central vision losses, including Histoplasmosis, Stargardt’s macular dystrophy, albinism, myopic macular degeneration, achromatopsia, cone dystrophies, etc. when watching television can be achieved in most cases. Below are several options to helping patients with vision loss to watch television.
Option One: Sitting closer to the television is the first option to try. This works well for many patients. This enlarges the image of the television in your eye, thus spreading across the peripheral retina.
Option Two: Obtain a larger and better quality television and sit as close as needed to see. When large screen televisions are used, we recommend high definition since this provides a clearer image when the patient sits close to the screen.
Option Three: Utilize a bioptic telescopic system to view television. The best product in our clinics has been the Beecher Mirage systems. They are typically fit in powers of 4X, 5.5X, and 7X power. An 8X power is used in rare cases.
The Beecher provides a bright, wide angle field of view. Patients not only like the enlarged view, but notice a major improvement in their color vision. The color on the screen no longer seems faded. At the Low Vision Centers of Indiana , our doctors have prescribed over 1,300 Beecher systems for patients to watch television and other distance activities.
The new SightScope is also another option for television watching. The SightScope allows for a wide field and can be easily adjusted for most viewers. It is set for the distance and can be flipped up and down out of the patients line of sight if needed. This can be helpful for reading sports score or scrolling text.
MaxTv is a low power magnification aid. It is helpful for patients that have large television screens, but still need additional magnification.