You At Your Best

by KAren riCe Losing one's sense of sight is devastating, and with it comes a loss of independence and feelings of hopelessness. "People with low vision suffer from a lack of hope. They've been told that nothing more can be done," says Dr. Brett Mills. Dr. Mills is a Fellow of the International Association of Low Vision Specialists, one of only 42 doctors across the country in the association. He's one of only two or three low vision specialists in the state who specialize in helping those who have lost vision due to macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and other debilitating eye diseases. From his office in downtown Rogers, Mills offers hope to low vision patients, some of whom may be legally blind. Mills has been practicing 23 years and got into the specialty because his mom lost her vision due to a brain tumor when she was very young. Dr. Mills gets referrals from ophthalmologists and retinal specialists, but often by the time patients find him, they may have given up. His first job, as he sees it, is to help them regain hope. "We want to show people that there's life after vision loss" he explains. "There are lots of options out there, thanks to technology." Dr. Mills points out that 4.4 million people have vision loss. But only 10% of them will see a low vision specialist. As the population continues to age, that number is expected to grow to 8 million in the next 15 years. Most of Dr. Mills' patients have macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness and vision loss in people over 50. It accounts for 90% of new legal blindness in the U.S. The macula is a part of the retina that gives us sharp central vision. When it degenerates, it leaves a blind spot right in the center of vision, making it difficult or impossible to recognize faces, read a book, or pass the driver's vision test. One of the things Dr. Mills does is to fit miniaturized telescopes into glasses with people's prescriptions, allowing patients to read, watch television, and even keep driving. Most people don't know these things are out there," Dr. Mills points out. "People say: Why has no one told me about this?" Although the technology is not new (it was developed in the 60s,) finding the right solution for a patient can be difficult. And time-consuming. "An exam can last two to four hours. The process is lengthy," Dr. Mills explains. "It's hard for offices to devote that kind of time. You have to love doing it." For Dr. Mills, helping someone to see again is worth it. "My job is to figure out everything and anything possible to keep a person functioning," says Dr. Mills. "There are usually multiple things someone can use. One person could use one of about ten different devices. It's figuring out what works for the individual." With so many solutions available, much of Dr. Mills' job is "really listening to what someone is saying about their vision loss." He points to one low vision patient who hated not being able to mow his own lawn. "At first we recommended telescope glasses, to help him with reading. But he mentioned that what he really missed was being able to mow his lawn. We switched gears and made another version which enabled him to mow again." The cost of these devices is equivalent to a high quality hearing aid. Like a hearing aid, Dr. Mills says that when people try the devices, they can't believe the improvement. New technology like eSight®, NuEyes™ and OrCam can help even the legally and completely blind connect with the world. "Smart glasses" can be programmed to recognize faces, bar codes, currency, and have a built-in OCR scanner that will read material to them. Dr. Mills calls it "using technology to see the world for someone. And that brings independence, joy and a more fulfilled life." To learn more about low vision solutions, visit Dr. Mills' website: eyehelplowvision.com. Or for a phone consultation, call 479-586-4357. Local specialist uses high technology to help low vision patients Restoring vision renewing hope Dr. brett mills "We want to show people that there's life after vision loss. there are lots of options out there, thanks to technology." 10 | YOU AT YOUR BEST | nwAdg.cOm/YOUATYOURBEST SEpTEmBER - ViSiOn HEAlTH | SATURdAY, AUgUST 31, 2019

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