Glenn Beck Going Blind? What is Macular Dystrophy?

by the Left Coast Rebel

Is Glenn Beck going blind?

I sure hope not as I consider Beck one of the top legwork-heroes of my cause, (even though at times I don't care for his delivery). Like I have said before I have had an on-again, off-again relationship to the Beck show (television) but a recent conversation with a neighbor brought perhaps more light to how effective Glenn Beck has been in alerting the public to the dangers/evils of the so-called Progressive movement in America.

Therefore this saddens me:

During a tearful and passionate speech at his "American Revival" meeting in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Fox News host Glenn Beck revealed that he may be going blind.

During his speech (video below), Beck told the audience, "I can't focus my eyes."

Taking a shot at health care reform, Beck said, "I went to the best doctor I could find, while I could still go to the best doctor I can find."

Beck, 46, says he has been diagnosed with macular dystrophy, and joked that the doctor told him, "You could go blind in the next year . . . or you might not."

I did a little research on macular dystrophy:

Vitelliform macular dystrophy or vitelliform dystrophy is a genetic eye disorder that can cause progressive vision loss. This disorder affects the retina, specifically cells in a small area near the center of the retina called the macula. The macula is responsible for sharp central vision, which is needed for detailed tasks such as reading, driving, and recognizing faces.

And figured that this was perhaps good news (bold):

Researchers have described two forms of vitelliform macular dystrophy with similar features. The early-onset form usually appears in childhood; however, the onset of symptoms and the severity of vision loss vary widely. The adult-onset form begins later, usually in middle age, and tends to cause relatively mild vision loss. The two forms of vitelliform macular dystrophy each have characteristic changes in the macula that can be detected during an eye examination.

Cross posted to Left Coast Rebel