Dr Annegret Dahlmann-Noor, who is director of the children's service at Moorfields Eye Hospital, joins our My Macular and Me podcast to talk about myopic macular degeneration (MMD).  As well as the condition itself, Dr Dahlmann-Noor will discuss its prevalence, as well as her latest research into the condition on how to slow myopia progression in childhood and adolescence. The Macular Society has been supporting people with macular conditions for over 30 years. The right information and...

Living with sight loss may entitle you to extra financial support to help with day-to-day costs, but do you know what you can claim? Our mini series Bitesize Benefits will cover a range of topics related to financial support for those living with macular disease. This episode is our final episode focused on Attendance Allowance. In this episode we discuss the application itself, as well as the assessment and outcome of your application. We also discuss what Carer's Allowance is, who can...

Living with sight loss may entitle you to extra financial support to help with day-to-day costs, but do you know what you can claim? Our mini series Bitesize Benefits will cover a range of topics related to financial support for those living with macular disease. This episode is part one of two, focused on Attendance Allowance. In this episode we discuss what the benefit is and how to apply, diving into the application and how to answer the questions.  For more information on benefits...

For most, taking public transport is done without much thought or stress. But, sight loss can have a huge impact on the relative ease with which most people travel. For this My Macular and Me podcast we are joined by Pete Lock, national habilitation lead at Guide Dogs, who shares his own experiences of travelling across the UK on public transport. He will also discuss tips and strategies for stress-free journeys. The Macular Society has been supporting people with macular conditions for over...

Living with sight loss may entitle you to extra financial support to help with day-to-day costs, but do you know what you can claim? Our new mini series Bitesize Benefits will cover a range of topics related to financial support for those living with macular disease. Join us as we look at the recent Spring Budget announcement and explore what these updates could mean for those living with sight loss.  For more information on benefits available to help those living with macular disease and...

Researcher Roly Megaw, a clinical lecturer and honorary consultant ophthalmologist from the University of Edinburgh and West Lothian joins us for this episode of the podcast. Roly will be shedding light on the devastating impact of RPGR gene mutations, which can cause macular and cone rod dystrophies. Join us as he unveils discoveries from his joint Macular Society and Retina UK-funded research, aiming improve our understanding of these conditions and find potential treatments. The Macular...

Join us for our final episode on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in our Bitesize Benefits series. In this episode we explore the final stages of the application ,unravelling the assessment process and possible outcomes.  This episode is the final in three, focused on Personal Independence Payment (PIP).  For more information on benefits available to help those living with macular disease and their families, please visit our website. The Macular Society has been supporting people with...

Join us for the second episode in our Bitesize Benefits series as we continue our exploration of Personal Independence Payment (PIP). We take a look at the application process and uncover valuable tips to help you with your claim. This episode is the second of three, focused on Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Join us as we explore what PIP actually is, who is entitled to it, and how you can apply. For more information on benefits available to help those living with macular disease and...

Living with sight loss may entitle you to extra financial support to help with day-to-day costs, but do you know what you can claim? Our new mini series Bitesize Benefits will cover a range of topics related to financial support for those living with macular disease. This episode is the first of three, focused on Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Join us as we explore what PIP actually is, who is entitled to it, and how you can apply. For more information on benefits available to help...

Flashing lights in vision (photopsia) or discomfort due to bright light or glare (photophobia) is often experienced by patients with Stargardt. However, little is understood about what causes these symptoms, their prevalence or the impact they can have on people’s lives. Omar Mahroo, consultant ophthalmologist and professor of retinal neuroscience at University College London, and his colleague Dr Matteo Rizzi join this episode of the My Macular and Me podcast. The Macular Society has been...

Dr Liam Sullivan, consultant ophthalmologist at Cambridge University Hospital, joins My Macular and Me to discuss lasers as treatment for patients with retinal conditions, such as diabetic retinopathy and retinal vein occlusion. The Macular Society has been supporting people with macular conditions for over 30 years. The right information and support can help people overcome their worries and retain their independence. We provide free information and support to those with macular disease,...

Gavin Arno, senior scientist and researcher from the department of genetics at Moorfields Eye hospital joins us for this episode of the My Macular and Me podcast. Gavin joins us to discuss the latest advances in genomics for inherited retinal disease. Our understanding of genetics and how DNA works has grown considerably in the last decade. This understanding has transformed researchers’ ability to carry out genetic analysis on individuals and has aided in the detection of defects and...

For this episode of the My Macular and Me podcast, we are joined Zsuzsi Szabo, an employment manager from Support4Sight in Essex, and Gary Hawkins from Cadent Gas, along with Lee Mercer, who is living with sight loss and is sharing his experience with employment.  They discuss the barriers that employers encounter when thinking about hiring someone with sight loss, and whether these barriers are real or perceived. Listen to find out more about how partially sighted job seekers can overcome...

Suzanne Roberts from the Macular Society Counselling service joins Colin Daniels for this episode of the My Macular and Me podcast. We are also joined by Lesley who was diagnosed with macular disease and began using our counselling service when she felt she was at her lowest. This episode looks at the emotional impact of a diagnosis of macular disease and the support that is available from the Society. A diagnosis of macular disease can be extremely upsetting. Finding out that you may lose...

For this episode of the My Macular and Me podcast we are joined by Jen, an  Eye Care Liaison Officer (ECLO) from West Suffolk, and Michelle , a rehabilitation officer from Lambeth, London, as they discuss their roles in supporting people with sight loss. The Macular Society has been supporting people with macular conditions for over 30 years. The right information and support can help people overcome their worries and retain their independence. We provide free information and support to...

For this My Macular and Me podcast we were joined by professor of ophthalmology, Noemi Lois, from Queen's University Belfast. She looks at the results of a recent trial for patients with diabetic macular oedema (DMO). The trial set out to test two types of laser for treating patients with DMO, one standard laser, which has been available for many years, and another much newer laser. It was found that the newer laser could clear up mild DMO without producing a burn on the retina, unlike the...

Professor Andrew Lotery from the University of Southampton joins this episode of the My Macular and Me podcast to talk to us about Sorsby Fundus Dystrophy. For further information on Sorsby Fundus Dystrophy please visit our website: https://www.macularsociety.org/macular-disease/macular-conditions/sorsby-fundus-dystrophy/ The Macular Society has been supporting people with macular conditions for over 30 years. The right information and support can help people overcome their worries and...

Howard Moshtael, joins us for this episode of the My Macular and Me podcast to discuss his reading tool, BrightPage. Whilst doing his PhD at Edinburgh University, Howard learnt that reading with central vision loss is easier if you don’t have to move your eyes. His idea was to find a tool which can scroll text in a natural way for reading. This would not be as a continuous scroll, but rather one that mimics the movements that our eyes make whilst reading. This way of reading turned out to...

Macular Society's research manager Geraldine Hoad and research officer Sarah Clinton join us for this episode of the My Macular & Me podcast to give an overview of the team and bring an update on the latest developments in macular research. The Macular Society has been supporting people with macular conditions for over 30 years. The right information and support can help people overcome their worries and retain their independence. We provide free information and support to those with...

Professor Robin Walker joins us for this episode of the My Macular & Me podcast to discuss his team's study on the effectiveness of recommended techniques to manage visual hallucinations caused by sight loss. Do you suffer with visual hallucinations caused by Charles Bonnet syndrome?  The Macular Society runs a CBS support group via our counselling service. This is done over the telephone and you can speak to other people experiencing CBS as well as one of our professional counsellors....

Professor Andrew Webster and genetic counsellor Hannah Knight join us for this episode of the My Macular & Me podcast to talk about understanding a genetic diagnosis of inherited macular disease and explore the benefits of genetic testing and counselling. The Macular Society has been supporting people with macular conditions for over 30 years. The right information and support can help people overcome their worries and retain their independence. We provide free information and support to...

Dr Amanda Carr, a researcher at UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, joins us for this episode of the My Macular and Me podcast. Amanda is currently working on a Macular Society funded project to switch off a faulty gene in Best disease, which causes the progression of the disease. Amanda updates on the project, which, if successful, could pave the way for gene testing to be used for Best disease and other autosomal dominant macular dystrophies, and genetic conditions in other disease areas. The...

What is myopic macular degeneration? And why is the number of people living with the condition increasing?  Professor Pete Coffey joins us for this episode of the My Macular and Me podcast to tell us more about the condition and how in the future, it could be more common than age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The Macular Society has been supporting people with macular conditions for over 30 years. The right information and support can help people overcome their worries and retain their...

In this episode of the My Macular and Me podcast we are joined by consultant ophthalmologist Alastair Denniston, along with his colleagues, to discuss Punctate Inner Choroidopathy (PIC) in more detail and hear from a patient living with PIC.  The Macular Society has been supporting people with macular conditions for over 30 years. The right information and support can help people overcome their worries and retain their independence. We provide free information and support to those with...