It serves no-one to let someone go blind

20/08/2007

My mum is 87 and has suffered from dry macular degeneration in both her eyes for the past five years. She has just been diagnosed with wet macula degeneration (AMD) in the right eye. But because she only had an eye test once a year, the wet macular condition has been allowed to develop.

The doctor at the hospital said that she was unable to help now as the AMD had gone too far. I can't believe they don't have a six month screening process for people with the dry condition. Surely it serves no one to let someone go blind? The doctor also said that there was no particular disposition to the other eye developing the wet macular condition.

She did suggest mum take some vitamins which were available over the counter but not on prescription. She also suggested that mum should close the right eye and test the left eye by seeing if the lines on tiles in the bathroom appeared wavy. I can't believe they didn't give her this advice before to test both eyes? Why not?

Of course mum didn't realise how badly the right eye was deteriorating as the left eye was compensating. Is there anything that can be done to help the situation?

S Young, Bournemouth

The Mature Times has contacted the RNIB about this case. But, as Mr. Young points out, why wasn't his mother told to do exercises before, so that she could detect changes earlier?