This is the Macular Society’s Newsletter – below are a list of their latest stories. You can follow them up and read more here.
Welcome to your December e-newsletter – the last one of 2023! Thank you for all your support this year – through all of the challenges and twists and turns, our wonderful community has stayed strong, helping to Beat Macular Disease.
As we reach the end of this extraordinary year, please take a moment to reflect and celebrate all that you have helped to achieve supporting those people with macular disease and the scientists seeking to find a cure.
We wish you and your family all the very best for Christmas and we look forward to another year of progress as we strive together to Beat Macular Disease.
Thank you so much.
Dry AMD patients respond to injection breakthrough studies
Would you have regular injections to slow down the progress of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)? A small study asking this question has shown the majority of people with late-stage dry AMD would welcome the treatment. The study has been prompted by the emergence of two new drugs which could be the first ever to treat the condition.
New Charles Bonnet syndrome study could be “life changing”
Researchers at Royal Holloway University of London will be the first to study the effectiveness of common techniques used to manage visual hallucinations caused by sight loss. The study, funded by our incredible supporters, will test whether the two most common techniques recommended to manage Charles Bonnet syndrome are effective in reducing hallucinations.
“Eye care needs to transform”
The new national clinical director for eye care, Louisa Wickham, has spoken about her plans to address the challenges across ophthalmology services in the UK, including the increasing demand for NHS services. “Eye care needs to transform and do things quite differently” she said. Find out what her priorities are and how she plans to transform eye care.
New research funding for diabetic eye disease
We’re excited to be collaborating with fellow eye charities and Diabetes UK to fund more research into diabetic eye disease. Thanks to you we’re able to be a part of this new partnership, investing in brand new research to improve our understanding of who is at highest risk of eye damage and provide better, more tailored treatment to prevent it.
Has sight loss affected your professional life?
From maintaining your professional identity, to supporting colleagues who might not understand your visual impairment to find out more about it, working with a visual impairment can pose a number of challenges. According to our counsellor Lee Humphreys, the emotional impact of these can often be overlooked. A series of new group therapy sessions has been set up by our counselling service to give you a chance to talk openly about the impact your sight loss has had on your professional life.
New partnership helping to Beat Macular Disease
We have announced a new partnership with OcuPlan, a payment plan for people with macular disease and other eye conditions. Part of Simplyhealth and founded by consultant ophthalmologist Dan Calladine, OcuPlan is designed to give patients with long-term eye conditions, such as macular disease, affordable access to specialist care, to prevent unnecessary sight loss. The company is also donating £50,000 to Beat Macular Disease.
“You’ve never lived until you’ve seen a floating crocodile”
From a reptile gliding overhead to being offered beer by a woman dressed in lederhosen, Polly has seen her fair share of weird, wonderful and sometimes frightening things, from the comfort of her bedroom. Polly is one of many who experiences Charles Bonnet syndrome, which causes visual hallucinations in people with sight loss.
Watch our webinars from 2022
As the nights draw in, it’s the perfect time to re-watch our webinars – or catch up on any you’ve missed. From what role our immune system plays in AMD, to using plants to treat the condition, our webinars have covered a wide range of fascinating topics in 2022. We look forward to bringing you more stimulating talks from the experts from January.
Together we will find a cure
Become a member today with a six-month free trial for the simplest way to get expert advice and support, as well as updates on treatments and research into macular disease. Join the only community dedicated to finding a cure.
