Professor: Stem cell treatment could cure macular degeneration
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Having played EastEnders character Dot Cotton on and off since 1995, June has had her fair share of trials and tribulations within the BBC soap. Yet off screen, the actress was forced to retire from acting as her health dwindled. Speaking about her health, the actress revealed that she has been diagnosed with macular degeneration – an eye disease that can blur your central vision – and despite her best efforts to fix the condition with surgery, the star cannot escape the catastrophic side effects that the condition causes.
In a more recent interview with The Mirror, June explained how the condition is affecting her. She said: “I’ve got very poor sight. I’ve got extra lenses inside my eyes to try to help me read better.
“They help with peripheral vision, but I’ve got no central vision. I can’t go out socially.
“I never go to soap awards now. I don’t recognise people I know and they would think that I was snubbing them.”
As well as feeling as though she cannot attend social events in fear of offending people she cannot recognise, the actress has also had to give up driving and watching recent episodes of the beloved soap that gave her her career.
“I haven’t been watching it [EastEnders] as I find it difficult to see the television very clearly.
“If your sight is poor, there’s very little you can do. I read my Kindle instead. I can see where everything is around the house but nothing’s clear.
“Just pray for your health and strength, hearing and eyesight, and an active mind,” June added.
However, all is not lost for June, as she has found a rather modern way to cope with the condition, that involves an Amazon Alexa device.
The actress added: “Alexa could help me keep up with what’s going on in the world, because I’ve given up on my papers now.
“I could read the headlines at one time but that’s impossible now.”
However, the assistance of the voice-activated Alexa is not always as straightforward as it seems. June recalls trying to get a recipe for fruit scones from the device, but was underwhelmingly offered a Mexican chicken salad with yoghurt dressing instead.
“Scones, SCONES,” she repeated with increasing irritation during the interview, in that famous throaty voice.
Explaining more of the struggles she continues to face due to her limited eyesight, June went on to say: “I have got loads of fan letters that I haven’t been able to read or reply to since it all started.
“I don’t like to just send cards and sign them, I have all different sorts I like to choose from personally. So if someone mentioned Ethel, Gretchen Franklin, I’d send them one with a picture of Dot and Ethel.
“I used to be meticulous about that but now I’ve got nobody, really, to help me do it. I can’t tell you what it’s like, but you wouldn’t want it, dear.”
The National Eye (NEI) Institute explains that age-related macular degeneration (AMD) occurs as a result of damage to the macula – the part of the eye that controls sharp, straight-ahead vision.
Although the condition does not cause “complete blindness,” losing your central vision makes it extremely hard to see faces, read, drive, cook or fix things in the house – some of the activities June herself has had to give up.
There are two types of AMD: wet and dry, the former which is able to be treated but is far more rare, and the latter which is common but cannot be treated.
The NEI continues to explain that symptoms of AMD depend on the stage of the condition: early, intermediate or late. Early AMD doesn’t cause any symptoms, intermediate AMD may have mild symptoms such as blurriness in central vision or trouble seeing in low light, and late AMD causes straight lines start to look wavy or crooked, as well as a blurry area in central vision that may get bigger over time.
Research shows that you may be able to lower your risk of AMD (or slow vision loss from AMD) by making these healthy choices:
- Quit smoking — or don’t start
- Get regular physical activity
- Maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- Eat healthy foods, including leafy green vegetables and fish.
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