Don’t Let Age-Related Macular Degeneration Steal Your Sight

As you get older, it’s common to experience changes in your vision. However, you need to be alert for certain changes in vision, including blurriness, haziness, or distortion in your central field of vision—the area you see when you look straight ahead. These symptoms are signs of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye disease that is the leading cause of legal blindness in older adults.

If you experience any of these vision changes, you should see your eye doctor as soon as possible.

“Early detection of AMD can help prevent severe vision loss,” says Dr. Szilárd Kiss, MD, director of the retina service and an associate professor of ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medical College.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

To protect your vision:

  • Stop smoking; this is a must to lower the risk of developing AMD.
  • Eat a heart-healthy diet that includes dark, leafy greens, brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon.
  • Get comprehensive eye exams regularly. People age 40 to 55 need one every 2 to 4 years, those age 55 to 65 need one every 1 to 3 years, and people 65 and older need one every 1 to 2 years.

What Is AMD?

AMD occurs when the macula, the center part of the retina at the back of the eye, is damaged. The macula is the area of the eye that provides you with a view of the objects that are in the middle of your visual field. Your macula helps you focus on objects, recognize familiar faces, drive, and read, among other things.

There are two forms of AMD: dry and wet. Dry AMD refers to atrophy of the retina that occurs from the formation of drusen, waste products that form deposits underneath the retina. Another sign of AMD is changes in pigment that result from the breakdown of cells beneath the retina.

The other form is wet, or exudative, AMD. “This refers to the formation of abnormal blood vessels underneath the retina. The abnormal blood vessels leak fluid, bleed, and scar, which leads to vision impairment,” says Dr. Kiss.

AMD typically progresses from the dry to the wet form, although some patients initially present with wet AMD. The average age of onset of wet AMD is late 70s and early 80s, but Dr. Kiss notes that anyone over age 50 may have either wet or dry AMD.

Risk Factors

Age is the biggest risk factor for AMD. Other non-modifiable risk factors include a family history of AMD and certain genetic factors.

Two modifiable risk factors are smoking and diet. “Those who smoke or who have smoked have a several-fold increased risk of AMD, as well as an increased risk of progression to the late stages of AMD,” says Dr. Kiss. Eating a diet that is low in green, leafy vegetables and fish and high in saturated fat found in fatty meats, processed meats, and full-fat dairy products also has been linked to the progression of AMD.

Diagnosing AMD

AMD is often discovered after symptoms such as blurred vision appear. Other symptoms include difficulty adjusting to low light, the need for more light when reading or doing other close-up tasks, and a diminishing intensity or brightness of colors.

“AMD is diagnosed by performing dilated fundus (retina) exams, along with specialized testing,” explains Dr. Kiss. For your eye exam, see an ophthalmologist, a medical doctor who specializes in eye health.

In the early stages of AMD, many patients have no symptoms; that’s why it’s important to get regular eye exams, even if you don’t notice any vision changes. People with a strong family history of AMD should get a dilated retinal exam starting at age 50. If there are signs of dry AMD, Dr. Kiss recommends a complete, dilated exam every six months.

Treatment

Doctors generally do not treat dry AMD. There is some evidence that the advanced (but not early) stage of dry AMD may be slowed by taking a nutritional supplement that includes vitamins C and E, beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, zinc, and copper.

Two FDA-approved medications, Eylea (aflibercept) and Lucentis (ranibizumab), are used to treat wet AMD. Both of these medications are administered monthly by injection. “With these injections, 95 percent of patients maintain their vision, and up to 40 percent actually experience an improvement in vision,” says Dr. Kiss.

Don’t ignore changes in your vision: Schedule an eye exam as soon as possible to increase your chances of preserving your sight.

The post Don’t Let Age-Related Macular Degeneration Steal Your Sight appeared first on University Health News.

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