How To Fight Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration―AMD―is the most commonly diagnosed eye disorder in people over fifty. Well over two million Americans have been told they have AMD, and that number is expected to grow substantially. While this is a frightening statistic, over the last several years, medical researchers have shown that a number of effective treatments can slow, stop, and even reverse the progress of AMD.

Now, best-selling authors Dr. Jeffrey Anshel and Laura Stevens, who herself has been diagnosed with this condition, have joined forces to produce an up-to-date guide to what you need to know to combat and even prevent AMD.

The book is titled, What You Must Know About Age-Related Macular Degeneration and is divided into four parts.

-Part One explains how the eye works and how AMD develops, in both its wet and its dry forms. It then looks at the most common risk factors and explains how each of these factors negatively affects the structures of the eye.

Some risk factors include: Age, Coronary Heart Disease, Gender, Genetics and Epigenetics, Hypertension, Inactivity, Light Exposure, Obesity and Poor Diet, Diabetes and Prediabetes, Race, Smoking, Metabolic Syndrome.

-In Part Two, the authors look at the specific nutrients that affect the various cells of the eye. Included is a discussion of AREDS―the National Eye Institute’s study that showed which supplements help protect the eye from disease.

Some nutrients for eye health include: Vitamins (B, C, D), Minerals (Magnesium, Potassium), Essential Fatty Acids, and Antioxidants.

-Part Three offers an additional weapon against AMD. It explains why diet matters and offers advice on selecting foods that promote eye health while eliminating those that do the most damage.

Good foods to include on your plate are: Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Dark Leafy Greens, Almonds and Nuts, Cherries, Avocados, Orange and Yellow Fruits, Tomatoes.

-Part Four provides practical suggestions and easy-to-follow tips on how to incorporate this valuable information into your life.

Eye care suggestions include: Healthy Diet, Exercise, Stop Smoking, Protect Your Eyes from Damaging Blue Light (LED lighting, fluorescent lighting, and computer displays and smart phones).

What are the symptoms of macular degeneration?

Symptoms usually develop gradually and without pain. They may include:

• Visual distortions, such as straight lines seeming bent
• Reduced central vision in one or both eyes
• The need for brighter light when reading or doing close work
• Increased difficulty adapting to low light levels, such as when entering a dimly lit restaurant
• Increased blurriness of printed words
• Decreased intensity or brightness of colors
• Difficulty recognizing faces

Some of these symptoms may also indicate other vision problems or may be part of normal aging, so talk to your eye care professional if you experience symptoms.

If AMD runs in your family or you have been diagnosed with this potentially life-altering condition, it is important to know that there is not only hope, but a real path to a better, healthier life. Knowledge is power, and the more you know, the more likely you are to avoid the consequences of AMD. Let What You Must Know About Age-Related Macular Degeneration help you safeguard one of your most precious gifts―eyesight.