MACULAR DEGENERATION
AMD - AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION
MACULAR DEGENERATION is a serious, progressive eye disease that will affect almost a third of all people in their later years. It is the leading cause of severe vision loss in Americans over 50 years old and is a major cause of blindness throughout the western world in all populations, particularly those of European descent.
It runs in families and can occur independently. |
There presently is no cure. That's the bad news. The good news is that we can slow its progression if we catch the disease early. Untreated, macular degeneration will continue to cause the loss of usable central vision over time.
THE RETINA AND MACULA
The RETINA is the light sensitive layer on the back of the eye that enables us to see.
The MACULA is the tiny part of the retina that gives us the highest definition central vision that we use every day to read, watch TV, drive, and identify people, colors and objects. When it becomes compromised from macular degeneration, the loss of vision and independence can be dramatic. The macula is responsible only for central vision, but without it, most people are functionally blind.
Macular degeneration, also known as AMD (for Age-related Macular Degeneration) is generally seen in older adults with women being diagnosed more often than men. Some other risk factors include smoking, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, sun exposure, high cholesterol, light colored eyes, long term use of birth control pills and cardiovascular disease.
There is no cure, so our therapeutic goal is to slow the progression as much as possible by using proven vitamins and special light-filtering eyeglass lenses to cut the energy entering the eye that contributes to the damage. Advanced cases require intensive intervention by retinal specialists to attempt to maintain what remaining vision is still usable.
The RETINA is the light sensitive layer on the back of the eye that enables us to see.
The MACULA is the tiny part of the retina that gives us the highest definition central vision that we use every day to read, watch TV, drive, and identify people, colors and objects. When it becomes compromised from macular degeneration, the loss of vision and independence can be dramatic. The macula is responsible only for central vision, but without it, most people are functionally blind.
Macular degeneration, also known as AMD (for Age-related Macular Degeneration) is generally seen in older adults with women being diagnosed more often than men. Some other risk factors include smoking, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, sun exposure, high cholesterol, light colored eyes, long term use of birth control pills and cardiovascular disease.
There is no cure, so our therapeutic goal is to slow the progression as much as possible by using proven vitamins and special light-filtering eyeglass lenses to cut the energy entering the eye that contributes to the damage. Advanced cases require intensive intervention by retinal specialists to attempt to maintain what remaining vision is still usable.
SELF-TESTING AT HOME
Macular degeneration can take years to develop and is initially more noticeable in one eye compared to the other. Covering one eye and comparing the quality of vision with the other is a good screening tool. The earliest symptoms include having a stationary blurred spot in the center of your field of vision, needing more light to read, colors not being as vibrant as before, noticing a distortion or waviness when looking at objects or print and an overall haziness to your vision. Once the disease has begun to erode a person's vision, it has progressed significantly and is very difficult to slow down and virtually impossible to stop. There are now some treatments that have proven to delay the course of the disease, but the very best option is early screening and diagnosis as it is now possible to identify subtle changes in the macula years, sometimes decades before any vision loss occurs.
Macular degeneration can take years to develop and is initially more noticeable in one eye compared to the other. Covering one eye and comparing the quality of vision with the other is a good screening tool. The earliest symptoms include having a stationary blurred spot in the center of your field of vision, needing more light to read, colors not being as vibrant as before, noticing a distortion or waviness when looking at objects or print and an overall haziness to your vision. Once the disease has begun to erode a person's vision, it has progressed significantly and is very difficult to slow down and virtually impossible to stop. There are now some treatments that have proven to delay the course of the disease, but the very best option is early screening and diagnosis as it is now possible to identify subtle changes in the macula years, sometimes decades before any vision loss occurs.
EARLY DETECTION TECHNOLOGIES
The Palmer Eyecare Center has MRI-type instrumentation with thousands of times magnification that takes cross sectional images of the macula, which is less than the thickness of 2 strands of hair! It is non-invasive, there is no radiation and it is as simple and quick as having a photo taken. We can identify the earliest changes that might lead to macular degeneration and if some changes are detected, choose to begin some nutritional treatment that has been proven to slow down the progress of the disease.
The great news is that with early detection, macular degeneration doesn't have to lead to the loss of functional vision.
MACULAR DEGENERATION IN THE FAMILY? GET A SCREENING!
If you, a parent or a friend is over 65-years old with a problem seeing straight ahead in one eye or notice straight lines now appearing irregular or squiggly, please consider setting up an eye exam immediately. That is one of the first signs of the disease. Early intervention is the only proven method to prevent the eventual permanent deterioration in vision from this condition, which can affect a patient's independence and their ability to perform everyday tasks.
The Palmer Eyecare Center offers Macular Degeneration Screenings for anyone wishing to establish a baseline reading or interested in knowing the status of their macula. It takes about 15 minutes. The results will be available immediately and you will be able to see and discuss the results with one of our doctors. It is generally covered by most insurances.
The Palmer Eyecare Center offers Macular Degeneration Screenings for anyone wishing to establish a baseline reading or interested in knowing the status of their macula. It takes about 15 minutes. The results will be available immediately and you will be able to see and discuss the results with one of our doctors. It is generally covered by most insurances.
Please call us at 860-346-2020 to set up a convenient appointment in our East Hampton office.
ORDER MACUHEALTH SUPPLEMENTS HERE
We have been recommending MACUHEALTH to slow the progression of the disease with excellent results. MacuHealth contains the three key ingredients which are found in the maculas of healthy eyes. Research has shown that patients suffering from macular degeneration have significantly reduced levels of these protective compounds. MacuHealth actually helps restore the level of these critical ingredients which protect the macula from the oxidative stresses that disrupt and break down macular tissue. This mechanism dramatically slows the macular degeneration process. We stock MacuHealth in our office or you can order it directly from the manufacturer HERE.
If you have a parent with macular degeneration, you already know how devastating this condition can be and you should be aware that you are at an increased risk of developing it yourself. Eye vitamins such as MacuHealth have been shown to slow the progression of the disease, but the best protection is to get an annual eye exam so your eye doctor can examine and get high resolution images of the macula. Any new changes from your baseline images would indicate concern. Our first step when we see any changes is to start MacuHealth to slow the progression as early as possible. |
We stock MACUHEALTH in our office or you can order it directly from the manufacturer HERE.