Age Related Macular Degeneration
By Sherril Steele-Carlin
What you don’t know CAN hurt you when it comes to maintaining vision after age 50. That’s the message from the Washington D.C.-based non-profit group Alliance for Aging Research. The Alliance maintains a national campaign to help close a disturbing information gap highlighted in surveys about age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of irreversible blindness in older Americans.
What is Macular Degeneration?
AMD is a slow, progressive condition that occurs with the breakdown of cells in the macula, the small central part of the retina that allows us to see fine detail. The condition eventually causes loss of sight in the central part of the field of vision and is strongly associated with aging. Some sources estimate that as many as 13 million people over the age of 40 have some signs of AMD, while 1.2 million have the later, vision-threatening form of the disease. While there is no cure for AMD, research shows that nutrition and diet may play a role in its prevention. One study indicates that increased consumption of foods containing the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin seem to contribute to a lower risk of AMD.
Recognizing the Signs
A national survey conduced by HealthFocus, a market research firm based in Des Moines, Iowa, 94 percent of those surveyed expressed concern about eye health, but only 9 percent identified macular degeneration as a vision problem relating to aging. And while 40 percent had heard of AMD, fewer than one in 10 could describe the condition and its effect on vision.
Prevention
Some simple lifestyle changes can help prevent AMD, such as reduced alcohol intake, quitting smoking, the addition of green, leafy vegetables to the diet, and protection of eyes from the sun. Starting these changes as early as possible can mean the difference between blindness and sight in later life.
There is no cure for macular degeneration, but you can prevent it by changing your lifestyle and making sure you have yearly eye exams. Your eye health is extremely important to your overall well being and mental health, so save your sight, and make sure you change your lifestyle and keep your eyes healthy and happy!
