As we age, unfortunately, there are many different conditions that can affect our eyesight. Macular Degeneration, also known as Age-Related Macular Degeneration (or AMD) is a fairly common eye condition that impairs the eye’s ability to see. This happens primarily in individuals over the age of sixty and can be very impairing and frustrating to the person affected. This is why it’s so important to understand what macular degeneration is, what its signs are, and how it can be prevented.
What Is AMD?
Age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, is an eye disease that blurs your central vision. AMD happens when aging causes damage to the macula. The macula is located in the retina and it’s the part of your eye that controls straight-ahead vision. As the macula becomes damaged, your ability to see sharply and focus properly will begin to become impaired.
AMD is extremely common, in fact, it’s the most common reason for vision loss in people over the age of sixty, and although it doesn’t cause complete blindness, it does make it more difficult for the affected person to see faces, read, drive, and do other necessary daily tasks.
Common Signs Of AMD
Unfortunately, there are no early signs of age-related macular degeneration. Early AMD as the eye has just become affected does not show any signs of what’s to come. As time progresses and early AMD turns into intermediate AMD, some people still don’t experience any issues, others, however, may experience slight blurred central vision or difficulty seeing in low lighting.
Once late or advanced AMD begins to set in it will become obvious that something is wrong, as it presents in several ways including straight lines looking curvy or crooked, very blurred central vision, dullness in colours, blank spots in your line of vision, and extreme difficulty seeing in low light.
As signs of AMD can be very subtle until they become serious, it’s very important to pay attention to changes in your vision–especially if you’re over the age of sixty–and to have your eyes examined in the case of even a very small change in eyesight or blurriness.
How To Prevent AMD
Unfortunately, because age-related macular degeneration is age-related, there are not many things that you can do to completely prevent the disease. However, there are things that we do that can exacerbate the process. Leading a healthy lifestyle is a great way to help to slow the formation of AMD in the eyes. Some healthy things you can do to help slow the progression of AMD include:
- Abstaining from smoking cigarettes
- Getting regular physical activity (30 minutes daily)
- Maintaining healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- Eating healthy and nutrient-rich foods
- Scheduling regular eye exams to help identify AMD sooner
Eye exams help to catch early signs of macular degeneration,
Book your eye exam at your nearest Hakim Optical Store today!
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