Regular problems about AMD

As the name indicates, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that affects the macula, which is the part of the eye responsible for perceiving fine detail. This ocular condition is painless but the patient’s sharp, central vision will be gradually deprived. Over time, the ability to see objects clearly during daily tasks will be reduced. As a chronic eye disease, AMD is even not realized until a serious stage. There are still some macular degeneration cases that progress faster and lead to vision loss in both eyes. Moreover, macular degeneration occurs in either wet or dry form.

Symptoms of advanced AMD

As the disease advances, retinal holes or macular holes may occur, affecting central vision seriously with peripheral vision untouched. Problems in ocular structures including macula can make straight line wavy. There are even blind spots coming in and out of the visual field. Moreover, people with advanced AMD have a breakdown of light-sensitive cells and supporting tissues in the central retinal area. They even have a difficulty in recognizing faces.

Possible reasons for macular degeneration

Today, most people know a bad news that the number of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients is on the rise. As a contributing factor to this eye disease, the thinning ozone layer continues to allow more and more ultraviolet light to reach the earth’s surface. Thus the use of sunglasses becomes an urgent necessity while being outdoors. Other contributing factors include longer life span, environmental pollutants, smoking, poor diet, obesity and so forth. In particular, old people need a health diet and are encouraged to take more exercise than youngsters for ADM prevention. Macular degeneration can be caused by certain drugs, and the condition is exactly known as drug-related AMD. Some researches show that people with a family AMD history are more likely to suffer the disease.

Natural aging is a main contributing factor to AMD

Age-related macular degeneration has several forms. And there are some treatment advertisements on TV, e.g. eye injection and multivitamin pills. It is necessary to get a prior consultation from an eye care practitioner before making a choice. Macular degeneration is mostly associated with natural aging, although some early studies also reported genetic factors. Severe AMD in old people can cause vision loss. Experts say that AMD with fibrosis normally does not affect peripheral vision.

About treatment and prevention

Macular degeneration is sometimes coupled by cataracts. For those getting macular degeneration in their 80s, LASIK is not suitable. But they can resort to cataract surgery, which removes the natural lens and replaces it with an artificially clear one. Instead of resorting to a treatment, most eye doctors suggest that the aging popular should pay more attention to AMD prevention. Besides proper protection against UV rays, individuals should keep a healthy life and diet. Dark green leafy vegetables including spinach, kale or collard greens as well as other leafy veggies have plentiful lutein and zeaxanthin, which are helpful in preventing AMD.