Conservative radio and television host Glenn Beck shared some health news at a live event in Salt Lake City over the weekend. He has macular dystrophy.
The crowd at his “American Revival Tour” got the news first hand. Beck said, “A couple of weeks ago I went to the doctor because I can’t focus my eyes. Actually, I went to Lenscrafters first, and the guy said, ‘Whoa, you might be going blind.”
The radio host went for a consult with an eye specialist and received the diagnosis. He was told that macular dystrophy is a progressive disease, often hereditary, that can cause a loss of central vision as the cells in the center of the retina (the macula) fill up with a fatty substance.
The macula is critical for sharp central vision which is needed for essential everyday tasks including reading, driving, and viewing television.
The disorder is not to be confused with macular degeneration, which can also produce loss of central vision. In both cases, peripheral vision is usually unaffected.
Beck related to his audience that his doctor told him “‘You could go blind in the next year…or you might not.'” There is no known medical treatment and no known cure.
Check out his humorous, and at time decidedly emotional, announcement on video below: