Our health is truly our wealth. Often, we take this blessing for granted and tend to neglect this very important aspect of our lives. As we age, many of our organs become weak and less functional comparatively, and at the onset of old-age, most of them conspicuously fail us. Our eyes are no exception to this phenomenon. Many an illness befalls the health of our eyes, one of them being age-related macular degeneration, otherwise referred to as AMD. In this article, we will cover in detail about this eye disease and how it can be treated.
Age-related macular degeneration known as AMD or ARMD, as the name suggests, is a disease that adversely affects the vision in older people particularly those above 60. The nerve tissue called the retina, which is placed at the back of our eyes performs the function of sensing light. The macula which is the central portion of the retina aids us in being able to focus our vision to read, drive, identify faces, distinguish between different colors, watch the television, etc. Responsible for identifying intricate details, the macula is also the most sensitive part of the eye. When the macula wears down owing to certain factors it leads to visual impairment in older people. An article published by The Lancet has concluded through statistical analysis that about 8.7 percent of people around the globe have AMD and the number is expected to steadily increase in the coming years.
There are two types of AMD known as dry AMD and wet AMD. About 85-90 percent of patients are diagnosed with dry AMD making it more common among the 2 types of the disease. Classified as the early stage of AMD, dry AMD is said to be caused owing to the thinning of the macular tissue combined with aging and the progression of the illness is gradual. In certain cases, pigment deposition called drusen in the macula due to the wearing down of the tissue can also lead to dry AMD. In wet AMD, vision loss is much more severe comparatively. Abnormal blood vessel growth at the lower part of the retina leading to the leakage of blood and other fluids is said to be the cause of wet AMD resulting in permanent damage to the photoreceptors in the eye. This leads to scarring in the eyes of the patients which ends up in severe central vision loss.
Known to affect both eyes or anyone eye, dry AMD doesn’t usually cause total blindness and often occurs without pain. Some tell-tale symptoms include:
The onset of wet AMD is usually sudden, with serious vision changes. Most symptoms for dry and wet AMD are comparable except for the below symptoms that exclusively for those suffering from wet AMD:
Diagnosis
As with the rest of our body, our eyes also need to be cared for regularly. Along with consuming eye-healthy food one must also make it a habit to periodically visit the doctor especially at the onset of any slight symptom or variation in vision. Timely eye-examinations with a healthcare professional can help avoid further complications. In the case of AMD, the initial tell-tale sign in most patients is the spotting of a yellow deposit under the retina termed as drusen, normally detected during eye-examinations. Another method is such that the doctor will ask you to closely stare at a pattern of straight lines and describe what you see. This grid consisting of straight lines set in a pattern mimics a checkerboard and is known as an Amsler grid. Those with macular degeneration are either unable to see some lines on the grid or some lines may seem bent to them, giving the doctor an indication of the onset of the illness. Therein, the doctors subject the patient to angiography or OCT and prescribe the required treatment option accordingly.
Macular degeneration is an incurable disease but with timely eye examinations at the initial stage of the illness, doctors can advise treatment options that can help slow the progression of the illness and hence decrease the intensity of symptoms. Some of the treatment methods are as mentioned below:
Superfoods To Be Taken
The obvious connection between diet and slowing down the progression of AMD cannot be overlooked. Doctors recommend a high intake of an antioxidant-rich diet with a surplus of vitamins and minerals. Let us take a look at some superfoods to be included in our diet on a daily basis:
Preventive Measure To Be Followed
To slower the progression of AMD one should follow the below measures:
Conclusion
Although one may not seem to immediately notice changes in vision in the initial stages of age-related macular degeneration, the common tell-tale signs should not be ignored especially if they appear in the form of inability to see colors, inability to see fine details in objects and a general reduction in central vision. Timely intervention can help reduce the progression of the illness, especially in high-risk individuals. Our vision is a gift-from-god and hence should be preserved to live comfortably well into our old age.
Weight loss does not imply not eating or working out intensively. Metabolism does not depend…
In recent years, the ketogenic diet has been the go-to weight loss approach because it…
Adderall and anxiety have a complicated connection since Adderall may sometimes induce anxiety and sometimes…
The natural supplement is the answer to all of people's problems. If they struggle with…
Running is undoubtedly one of the simplest methods to get the benefits of physical exercise…
In today's world, the central issue that many of us are facing is weight gain.…