For people trying to manage their wet AMD symptoms, utilizing phone apps may help with making every day tasks easier.
Wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the late form of AMD and is caused when abnormal blood vessels form in the eye. Intravitreal injections are the current therapy available for patients but using various apps on your smartphone can also help make life easier.
Using handheld magnifiers can assist with low vision issues. Apple offers the Magnifier app for free on its iPhones and it can magnify small objects and enhance and perceive doorways. Operating system requirement is iOS 14.4 or later. A similar app on Android phones is Magnifying Glass which comes with a flashlight and its primary function is to see smaller objects and texts.
Apps that can assist with voice to text are beneficial when users are trying to compose long texts, letters or other kinds of documents. Audio books can also be made available. Audible is a popular app which is free for both Android and Apple products and provides users access to a wide variety of books. And the popular voice assistants, Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant can be used to help with various tasks such as making and receiving phone calls and text messages as well as setting up reminders and creating shopping lists.
Wet AMD can make mobility difficult but there are even apps that can help with that. Users can be connected with a real person to assist in completing everyday tasks by using the free app Be My Eyes, which is available on both Apple and Android devices.
The risk of falls increases with wet AMD because central vision is impaired. Smartwatches such as the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch both have a fall-detection feature that can be activated and the watches can be synced with smartphones. If a fall is detected, an emergency contact will be notified via text or email and some watches will automatically dial 911.
Smartphone apps can provide additional support for those dealing with wet AMD and potentially offer a greater quality of life.
