Macular Degeneration and Vitamins

You have a family history of Macular Degeneration. Your grandfather had it. Your father had it. Chances are that you have the makings of Macular Degeneration. In fact your optometrist has said that he has noticed some drusen. Drusen is aging spots.There is no cure at the moment for this disease. With Macular Degeneration your macula gets clogged with materials that clog and start to block that portion of your eye that is meant to give you clear and sharp central vision and color definition.It can`t be fixed with lenses and as it progresses can take sixty to seventy percent of your vision. It is not total blindness but close to it. It is not known what causes it.It comes in two types: dry and wet. Whatever one you may have it is a case of the retina clogging with material that cuts down on your central vision making it hard to read fine print. In the last stages it is like a solid fist in the center of your vision yet you can still see on the sides of your vision pattern Let me suggest a way to combat this. You can improve or slow or even stop this Macular Degeneration. There is growing evidence that the use of vitamins, mineral and herbs can help fight Macular Degeneration. It is not a cure-all or a panacea but if you do nothing it is one hundred percent certain that Macular Degeneration will overtake you.First of all you must know that a macula is thin and fragile and it is located at the center of your retina. The problem comes when the macula starts to die because undigested materials gather and clog the cones in your eye. No signal can be sent through a part of the eye where the macula is not functioning. You start to see wavy lines. This is dry degeneration. I will not get into wet degeneration. You get the idea.So what can be done? I earlier stated something about vitamins and herbs and minerals. This is just one of the possible ways you can slow down the process.The first line of defense would be vitamin C. Vitamin C will help prevent the breaking of blood vessels in the retina. It can also prevent the growth of new blood vessels on the macular degeneration vitamins . You can get your C through fruits such as berries, lemons, grapes, plums, grapefruit, apricots and cherries which are high in a substance called bioflavonoid. A daily dose of 2,000 to 10,000 mg should do.

Medication and Age Related Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is a vision problem and is either classified as being either dry or wet.The most common type of macular degeneration is the dry type, but in approximately 15% of individuals with age-related macular degeneration, it has progressed to the point where it is considered to be wet. It slowly robs a person of their eyesight and makes it difficult for them to lead a normal life.That doesn`t mean, however, that you are completely without options when it comes to controlling AMD. In fact, here are 3 tips that may be able to help you to maintain your optical health and your eyesight.One important thing for you to consider are the types of medications that you are using regularly.Some medications may have side effects which could affect your blood vessels, particularly those that are in the eye. This could include many over-the-counter medications, such as NSAIDs, ibuprofen and aspirin.If the blood vessels in the eyes are affected negatively, it could result in hemorrhaging which could lead to macular degeneration.There may also be many prescription medications which can also have a similar effect and may have an additional side effect that would contribute even further to see vision loss that you may be experiencing.Cholesterol is a hot topic in medical circles. Many doctors consider your cholesterol level to be an overall indicator of your health.As it turns out, it may also be an indicator as to your optical health as well.In individuals with age-related macular degeneration, spots have formed on the retina which contains cholesterol. It is important to note, this is not an indication that you are getting too much cholesterol in your diet but it is an indication that your retina is no longer able to convert that cholesterol into usable hormones. If you eat properly, you can boost your good cholesterol levels which may help the conversion process and could help to save your eyesight. It is likely that you were unfamiliar with AMD until you got your diagnosis. If you have already been diagnosed with AMD, make sure that you visit your eye doctor on a regular basis.They will help to ensure that you are getting the treatment that is necessary to avoid further vision loss, if at all possible.They will also be able to check for the progression to wet macular degeneration , in which additional, more aggressive treatment is necessary.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

As we age, our vision becomes more susceptible to certain diseases that can cause us to lose some or all of our sight. Age-related macular degeneration is one such disease, and it is the leading cause of major vision loss in seniors older than 60. Affecting the center of the retina, age-related macular degeneration causes vision distortion and loss in the center of the patient`s vision. It can advance to permanent loss of central vision if not properly monitored. Two Forms There are two types of age-related macular degeneration: dry form and wet form. The dry form is significantly more common than the wet form. In dry age-related macular degeneration, the center of the retina begins to have a presence of deposits known as drusen. These collect and grow as the patient ages and cause the vision to dim or distort. Patients usually notice this first as they are reading, finding that the text becomes blurry or otherwise distorted. Dry form macular degeneration can cause patients to ultimately have blind spots in the center of their vision or to lose sight in the center of their vision completely.Wet form macular degeneration is caused by abnormal blood vessels growing around the retina, leaking blood and fluids into the retina. This form most often follows the presence of dry form degeneration and can cause permanent loss of the patient`s center of vision due to the abnormal vessels scarring. The Symptoms Early on, age-related macular degeneration usually does not have any obvious symptoms. It normally must progress before the patient will notice difficulties. Patients older than 60 should be aware of blurry or dim spots in the middle of their vision. The disease can also manifest itself as a change in color perception. Diagnosis Fortunately, age-related macuhealth deterioration is easy to detect and diagnose during a routine medical exam. The drusen, or yellow spots, on the retina are visible when your doctor inspects your retina. Doctors can also use charts with straight lines and grids to determine whether you are having difficulties seeing properly. Early detection is essential to reduce the severity of the disease and its progression, so patients older than 60 must be sure to have an eye exam at least once a year.