When people lose their vision as they get older, they lose a lot of other things, too. They lose their ability to do the things they love. "You can't read, you can't cook, and you can't socialize, and as a result, you may become demoralized, withdrawn and depressed," says Dr. Barry Rovner, a geriatric psychiatrist. Rovner is not talking about typical eyesight deterioration as we age.
He's talking about a specific condition called age-related macular degeneration. The macula is the central part of the retina that contains the densest concentration of light-sensing receptors, and it's crucial for making out fine details. Perhaps the scariest part of the loss is that people often can't recognize faces or "read" someone's facial expression. "If you can't see somebody's face, you feel disengaged and frightened," Rovner says. "The consequence is you may withdraw; many people withdraw." In…
