Macular Degeneration Question

[CatieC]

Can someone suggest a page magnifier that clips on to the book or page. My mom loves to read, she is now reading hardcover books and a page magnifier will help greatly.

Thanks for any suggestions. I have looked online but can't find a magnifier that clips. My mom likes to read to bed and the clip on would be more comfortable for her.

Thanks again.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

The Independent Living catalog is what we use in our practices plus some communities have low visual acuity aids store (e.g. Nagel's here in Kansas City, MO)

JCH MD

[CatieC]

Thanks berrywoo for your post. I will look into a LV exam for my mom. This way she can have the best magnifier for her specific needs.

[berrywoo]

Selecting a magnification level depends on a lot of factors as does selecting the right tool to magnify an image. I suggest that your mother go see a qualified low vision specialist to get more specifics about what is available and would be best for her.

Most of the "whole page sheets" that are supposed to magnify pages are deemed worthless pieces of junk by many in the LV (low vision) field. If the level of magnification required is relatively small than there are stand magnifiers or hand held magnifiers that work extremely well and many come with a light source. There are globe and bar magnifiers as well as other hands free magnifiers that don't have a light but are also pretty effective.

Again, choosing a device requires a good exam and evaluation, as well as some patience and flexibility. Many low vision specialists will help in not only selecting the best tools for both near and distance visual tasks, but help the user understand how to properly use them, and sometimes offer a free trial period to test out the products at the patient's leisure. Again, all the more reasons why I believe that your mother would greatly benefit from a comprehensive low vision exam.

Every person is different in their needs for LV aids. For example, I use a LED lighted hand-held magnifier with 3.5x lens, for spot reading, like reading food labels at the grocery store or the spines of books at the library. But for longer reading sessions, I clip a loupe (3x) onto my glasses and make sure that I have good lighting. There are others who choose to use a bar magnifier (again, with good lighting) b/c it helps them focus on the line of material that is being read.

If you feel that a low vision exam is out of the question and just want to dive in then there are plenty of websites that offer a large selection of magnifiers: maxi aids, independent living, etc.