Lesson 14 Macular Degeneration

Lesson 14: Macular Degeneration

blind spot
blood vessels
blurred vision
blurry
cornea
degenerate
iris
lens
macula
retina

Activity 1: Label the eye
blood vessels
cornea
iris
lens
macula
retina

Checking a patient’s vision: do you know these verbs?

Listen to the audio. Some of the expressions you might use are:

Can you open your eyes, please?

You can close your eyes now.

Can you look up, please?

Can you look down, please?

Can you tilt your head back?

I’m going to pull down your eye lid and put in some eye drops.

Activity 2: Complete the sentences about the parts of the eye.

macula cornea lens retina blood vessels iris

1. If _______________________ grow in the back of the eye, the retina may move away from the back of the eye.

2. The ___________________ is the clear covering of the front of the eye.

3. The ________________ is the coloured part of the eye around the black pupil.

4. The ____________of the eye bends the light towards the back of the eye.

5. The ______________ is a spot at the back of the eye which is important for good vision.

6. The __________________ covers the back of the eye and is sensitive to light.

Activity 3: Listen to the audio. Write the correct order (1,2,3) The first one is done for you.

1 gradual loss 2 loss of vision 1 eye condition 3

2 vision eyesight bright colours

3 blurred abnormal treated

4 painless gradual loss eyesight

5 blood vessels vision loss of vision

Activity 4: Listen to the audio and complete the information about macular degeneration.

treated blurred bright vision abnormal painless

Macular degeneration is an eye condition which causes gradual loss of the (1)__________. It is usually seen in elderly patients and is (2)________________. The loss of vision is gradual but serious if it is not treated.

A person’s vision becomes more and more (3)______________. It becomes difficult to read or watch television. Colours also become less (4)______________. Many people also find it hard to recognise other people’s faces as the condition gets worse.

There are two types of macular degeneration – wet and dry. Wet macular degeneration should be (5) ____________ as soon as possible to prevent complete loss of vision. These days, patients have injections into the eye which stop (6) ______________ blood vessels from forming. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for dry macular degeneration.

Activity 5: Watch the video and answer the questions that follow.

1. The nurse is going to explain _________________________.

a macular degeneration

b the treatment for macular degeneration

c the macula

2. The injections stop more _____________________.

a blood vessels from forming

b blood flowing

c blood clots

3. The patient will be given a ______________ before the injection into his eye.
a tablet
b painkiller
c local anaesthetic

Activity 6: Put the sentences into the dialogue. Record the dialogue as homework.

a You’ll get some local anaesthetic so you won’t feel the injection.

b The medicine will be given as an injection into your eye.

c Also, it’s very important that you start the treatment as soon as possible.

d You’re going to take a medicine which stops any more blood vessels from growing there.

Nurse: I’m going to explain the treatment for your eye problem.

Patient: Thank you, nurse. I don’t know much about it.

Nurse: Macular degeneration causes abnormal blood vessels to form under the macula.

Patient: Oh. Really?.

Nurse: The macula is at the back of the eye. 1._____________________________________________________________

Patient: I see.

Nurse: 2. _______________________________________________________

Patient: Oh really? That doesn’t sound nice at all!

Nurse: Don’t worry. 3. _______________________________________________

Patient: I hope not!

Nurse: 4. _________________________________________________________. This is to prevent any more damage to your eye-sight.

Patient: I understand.