Macular Degeneration
If you are like me, you’ve probably heard of macular degeneration but have no idea what it actually is. So, to help us both get informed, today I’m going to tell you what I know about this eye disease.
Macular degeneration affects a small area of the center of the retina. It’s a disease that causes total vision loss in that eye, and is, in fact, the leading cause of blindness for North Americans over the age of 55.
What happens for most people that experience macular degeneration is they notice a gradual blurring of a spot in the center of their line of vision. This is due to damage of the cells in the macula — the light-sensing part of your retina. The disease normally causes you to lose your central vision. In other words, you can’t see anything directly in front of you.
There are two main kinds of macular degeneration – they are classified as wet and dry. Dry is the slower kind and can take years to develop or progress into the wet version of macular degeneration, which is much worse and can cause you to go blind very quickly.
In addition to older people, those most at risk for macular degeneration are those who smoke and those who have had excessive exposure to UV light directly from the sun or other sources (like tanning beds). If you have a strong family history of this disease, or of high blood pressure and hardened arteries, you may also be at increased risk.
If you want to avoid macular degeneration, the best thing you can do is to lead a healthy lifestyle. In fact, people who eat a healthy diet filled with fruits and vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids, avoid smoking, wear sunglasses to protect their vision, and exercise are a lot more likely to preserve their vision and avoid macular degeneration.
The other thing you must do to make sure you prevent this eye disease is to visit your optometrist regularly! Macular degeneration is sometimes hard to recognize on its own. So, having regular eye exams is vital for early detection and getting treatment if you need it. If it’s been longer than two years since your last eye exam, call your optometrist at your closest America’s Best and make an appointment for a full eye exam today.
