Low Vision Care For Albinism In New York
Most commonly, if a person has a refractive error, it can be treated with a pair of standard glasses that are the correct prescription. If there is sun or light sensitivity/photosensitivity due to a reduction or absence of pigments in the iris, absorptive sunglasses or lenses can be used to help keep the glare out. On the other hand, if you have nystagmus (involuntary darting of the eyes) or strabismus (misalignment of the eyes), lenses with prisms to decrease the effect and get both eyes focusing the same way can be prescribed.
If your condition is more advanced, we may prescribe stronger glasses with such things as full-diameter telescopes, telemicroscope glasses or e-scoop glasses. To find out what will work best for you come to see our low vision eye doctor, Dr. Steven Schoenbart, here at Low Vision Of New York in Long Island, New York. We will be happy to schedule you for a consultation to see what will work best for you.
Our Low Vision Optometrist, Dr. Steven Schoenbart, helps patients from all over New York, with eye diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa, cataracts and more, to maximize their remaining vision to its full potential in order to recover and save vision functionality.
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How Can I Use My Phone
With Albinism-Related Low Vision?
When you have poor eyesight for any reason, it is harder to see a flip phone than it is a smartphone. The smartphone has a larger screen and most of them have built-in functions for accessibility so that you can enable a magnifier to help with your vision. Even if there's not one built-in, there is downloadable software that can be added to help with this problem. If you do still have a problem, once you have the appropriate phone and software, low vision glasses are always an alternative. Prismatic reading glasses are basically just strong reading glasses that allow for a natural focal point. If you would like to talk to someone and find out what type of glasses you’re needing, come to visit Dr. Steven Schoenbart at Low Vision Of New York. With our various low vision aids, we can help you see again, be able to perform many activities, and regain your independence.
How Can I Make Out Faces With Poor Eyesight Related to My Albinism?
When you have poor eyesight that is caused by albinism, it can be a challenge to make out someone's face up close or at a distance. If this is what you're going through, talk to an optometrist that specializes in low vision that is caused by albinism, because there are a few different options you might consider. Many people use what is called Full Diameter telescopes. These are glasses that are designed for any task where you need to be able to see at a distance, like making out people's faces, watching TV, viewing sports events, going to the theater or any other activity like this that doesn't require moving around.
How Can I Use My Phone With Albinism-Related Low Vision?
When you have poor eyesight for any reason, it is harder to see a flip phone than it is a smartphone. The smartphone has a larger screen and most of them have built-in functions for accessibility so that you can enable a magnifier to help with your vision. Even if there’s not one built-in, there is downloadable software that can be added to help with this problem. If you do still have a problem, once you have the appropriate phone and software, low vision glasses are always an alternative. Prismatic reading glasses are strong reading glasses that allow for a natural focal point. If you would like to talk to someone and find out what type of glasses you’re needing, come to visit Dr. Steven Schoenbart at Low Vision Of New York. With our various low vision aids, we can help you see again, be able to perform many activities, and regain your independence.
When you have poor eyesight that is caused by albinism, it can be a challenge to make out someone’s face up close or at a distance. If this is what you’re going through, talk to an optometrist that specializes in low vision that is caused by albinism, because there are a few different options you might consider. Many people use what is called Full Diameter telescopes. These are glasses that are designed for any task where you need to be able to see at a distance, like making out people’s faces, watching TV, viewing sports events, going to the theater or any other activity like this that doesn’t require moving around.
Treatments For Poor Eyesight Caused By Albinism
When it comes to the pigment problems or the retinal issues, there are no treatments at this time. However, they can do surgery to correct strabismus (misalignment of the eyes). The other issues that are brought on by albinism are commonly treated with corrective prescriptions. This treatment can include low vision glasses and contact lenses.


Why Is Poor Eyesight Caused By Albinism?
Albinism, also known as Oculocutaneous Albinism (OCA) is a disease that causes the reduction of melanin, a natural pigment which gives color to the skin, iris of the eyes, and hair. This disease is inherited from one’s parents and affects one in every 20,000 people in the US. People with albinism will have light colored skin, white or pink hair, and light colored eyes.
The thing that most people don’t realize is that this condition can come with a host of other problems including poor eyesight. People with albinism may have poor eyesight caused by a lack of pigment in the iris (the colored section of the eye), unusual development in the center of the retina (the thin layer of light-sensitive nerves in the back of the eye) known as foveal hypoplasia or a condition where the optic nerve is ”misrouted” between the eye and the brain. While the conditions listed above are more serious, individuals with albinism can also suffer from the more common eye conditions such as strabismus (misaligned eyes), nystagmus (involuntary darting of the eyes), and refractive errors (farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism).
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