Age Related Macular Degeneration

Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a eye disease that affects the central vision. It is the leading cause of vision loss among people aged 50 and older. It occurs when the macula, the part of the retina responsible for sharp central vision, is damaged (from aging). 

AMD is the leading cause of vision loss among people aged 50 and older and affects more than 10 million Americans. Each year, about 200,000 new cases are diagnosed. Unfortunately, most people are not diagnosed until the later stages of the eye disease, when treatment is not as effective. For this reason, getting an annual comprehensive eye exam is important. 

While there is no known cure for AMD, early diagnosis and treatment can help slow its progression and preserve vision. This article will tell you everything you need to know about age related macular degeneration. It will cover what it is, what causes it, and how to prevent it (and low vision).

What is Macular Degeneration?

Macular degeneration, also known as age related macular degeneration (AMD), is a condition that affects your vision. It causes damage to the macula, which is the part of the eye responsible for sharp central vision. Macular degeneration can make it hard to see clearly and may even cause blindness in some cases. Left untreated, it can lead to permanent vision loss.

Symptoms include blurred or distorted vision, difficulty seeing fine details, and dark spots in your field of vision. AMD is a progressive disease that usually affects older adults, but it can affect people of any age. While there is no cure for the disease, treatments can slow its progression.

What Causes Age Related Macular Degeneration?

As the name implies, age related macular degeneration is an eye disease caused by aging. While the cause of macular degeneration is still unknown, there are risk factors that increase your chance of developing it.

Risk factors include age, smoking, family history, and race. In addition to this, certain lifestyle choices also increase your risk. Wondering if you are at risk for AMD? Below is a list of risk factors that contribute to the development age related macular degeneration.

Risk Factors:

• Age: the older you get your risk increases for this eye disease as well as other age-related eye diseases (usually after age 60) but can occur earlier
• Smoking: if you are a smoker your risk also increases
• Family History (Genetics): anyone with a family history of the disease has a higher risk of getting it

Because early AMD doesn’t have any symptoms, if you are at risk for AMD for any of the factors listed above, getting regular dilated eye exams is the best way to prevent it.

How to Prevent Macular Degeneration

To prevent AMD, the first step is making sure you get an annual dilated eye exam. This can help reduce your risk or slow its progression by catching it early. In addition, wearing sunglasses will also help reduce your risk of developing AMD.

But make sure to wear only UV protection sunglasses. Sunglasses like this block 100 percent of UV-A and UV-B rays which is what increases your risk.

Lifestyle Changes:

• Exercise regularly
• Avoid smoking
• Reduce exposure to blue light
• Maintain normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels
• Eat a balanced diet

Detecting and Preventing Age Related Macular Degeneration

The most important thing you can do to prevent age related macular degeneration is by getting an annual comprehensive dilated eye exam. To help to detect any eye problems at their early stages, when they’re most treatable, we perform a dilated eye exam.

During the exam we use eye drops to widen your pupils and then check for AMD and other eye problems. We also perform a visual acuity test to measure how well you see at all distances. In addition to this, we may use an Amsler grid to check for changes in your central vision.

It’s important to take care of your eyes just like you take care of the rest of our body! While you may think your eyes are healthy, getting an annual comprehensive eye exam is the only way to be sure. Start protecting your vision today by booking your eye exam. For more information about our eye exams or to book an appointment, contact us at (805) 522-7007.