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Of all the techniques and aids the macular degeneration patient needs to master, none comes higher on the list than Eccentric Viewing; i.e., not looking at what you want to see.
When the macula dies as a result of macular degeneration, the tissue dies so a spot on the retina becomes totally insensitive to light. The fovea right in the middle of the macula is the only 20/20 vision in a normal eye. It is the only truly sharp vision in 180 degrees of vision. Because this is true, and has been true from infancy, when one wanted to see something, the eyes were turned to look directly at whatever one wanted to see. In other words, one focused light onto the fovea so as to see clearly. Since the fovea and macula are dead in Macular Degeneration patients, when the eye is focused directly on the object to be seen, the light entering the eye is being focused on the dead tissue. Consequently, nothing is seen. By looking to the right or left of the object, so that the light entering the eye is focused on the retinal tissue right beside the macula but not directly on it, allows the peripheral vision to come into play.
There is a trick to this. When looking to the side of what you want to see, chances are that you turned your head to the side. Don't. If you turn your head in order to move the blind spot out of the way, two things happen: 1) You are going to look like a one-eyed chicken trying to walk across the barn yard. 2) Your eyes will rotate in their sockets and will remain fixed on the object. Never move your head! Move only your eyes!
Some people can see best if they move their eyes high right and some see best when they look high left. Some see best when they look straight left or right. Each person must determine for himself which way is best. To do this, it is suggested that you stand in front of a picture hanging on the wall. Get plenty of light on it. Stand three feet in front of the picture and look right at the center of it. Of course, you see little if anything. Now, look at the frame off on the right side. Keep your eyes pointing at the frame, but concentrate on what you can see with your peripheral vision in the center of the picture. Now, point your eyes to the left side of the frame. Can you see the center of the picture any better? Now, try the top of the frame, and the bottom, but don't stop there. Go back now and try positions in between the right, left, top, and bottom. There will be a point somewhere where you can see best and only you can locate it.
To put this into practice, do the following: Sit in a chair in your living room. Look at small objects scattered around the room. They will, of course, disappear when you look right at them. During the earlier stages of the disease, the objects may only become badly blurred. But when they do, hold your head and neck locked as if it were in a vise; turn your eyes to the right and up. The object will come back into view. It will not be sharp like it once might have been but the point is you can see it.
After mastering Eccentric Viewing while sitting down, try it while walking through the house. How well you learn Eccentric Viewing will define just how disabling Macular Degeneration will be in your life. Learn it well and use it in connection with other techniques, like getting closer to what you want to see, and Macular Degeneration will be only a nuisance in your life. Fail to master it, and you will be severely disabled.
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