How Age-Related Macular Degeneration Could Affect Your Eyesight
AMD, specifically age-related macular degeneration, is the leading cause of low vision in people over the age of 60. This eye disease happens when the macula, a part of the retina, responsible for detailed vision, becomes damaged, resulting in blurred, diminished central vision.
An estimated 1.5 Million Canadians identify themselves as having a sight loss. An estimated 5.59 million more have an eye disease that could cause sight loss. AMD (age-related macular degeneration ) is the second leading cause of sight loss in Canada.
This degenerative condition affects millions of people’s eyesight every year. It is a condition that can impact an individual’s independence, affecting daily activities such as driving, Watching TV, doing close-up work like cooking, reading, or fixing things around the house.
We want to raise awareness and honour all the people who are living with vision loss. This is the main reason that inspired us to create and share constant educational content, and updates and to talk about or find resourceful information.
How Age-Related Macular Degeneration Could Affect Your Eyesight
The impulses travel to the brain through the optic nerve where they're processed and turned into images. Unfortunately, damage to the retina affects the transmission of these important impulses. If retinal cells are damaged, you may develop a blind spot in your vision or notice that things look blurry.
AMD Affects the Central Part of the Retina
In AMD, a part of the retina called the macula is damaged. The macula is responsible for detailed vision. You cannot see fine details, whether you are looking at something close or far. But your peripheral (side) vision will still be normal.
For instance, imagine you are looking at a clock with hands. With AMD, you might see the clock’s numbers but not the hands.
What are the Symptoms ?
Blurriness or a blind spot in your central vision aren't the only symptoms of AMD. If you have the eye disease, you may notice that recognizing your friends, reading, or spotting obstacles when you're driving becomes more difficult. You might also notice that straight edges and lines look wavy or warped.
In its early stages, AMD may have no signs or symptoms, so people may not suspect they have it. In advanced stages, people lose their ability to drive, see faces, and read smaller print.
Many people don’t realize they have AMD until their vision is very blurry. This is why it is important to have regular visits to an optometrist or ophthalmologist. They can look for early signs of AMD before you have any vision problems.
Who Is at Risk for AMD?
No one is quite sure what causes AMD, although researchers believe that these factors, in addition to age, could increase your risk of developing the eye disease:
- Being Obese or Overweight
- A Family History of AMD
- Smoking
- High Blood Pressure
- Poor Nutrition
- Not Exercising Enough
- Light-Colored Irises
- Hyperopia (farsightedness)
Women are more likely to develop AMD because they typically have longer lifespans than men, according to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation.
Treating AMD
Although there is no cure for AMD, taking special supplements may be helpful to slow the progression of the disease.
I usually recommend the Vision Essence supplements for patients who have Macular Degeneration as well as those who have a family history of AMD or patients who have diabetes.
The best choice for early stage retinal conditions is a macular pigment carotenoid formula containing lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin.
Recent studies have indicated that some people who have a specific gene type that puts an individual at higher risk of developing macular degeneration may do best with supplements that only have the carotenoids as mentioned above and not higher doses of zinc. For this reason, I prefer Vision Essence Early
Defense without zinc for many patients unless they have undergone genetic testing to determine if zinc may be of harm or benefit to the patient.
VISION ESSENCE
Early Defense
- Triple-carotenoid macular protective pigment formula with the correct ratio of lutein, meso-zeaxanthin and zeaxanthin as found in the macular pigment cells.
- For early age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic eyes, and those with AMD family history
- Maintain and improve eyesight in the face of macular disease
This formula is dispensed only by specific eye clinics. If you would like to order yours today or to learn more about genetic testing to determine the best supplements for your eyes, click Here we will be in touch with you