While getting older need not automatically mean getting age-related macular degeneration (AMD), there’s no denying that the blindness-causing eye condition largely impacts the elderly, reported a press release recently.
According to the press release, loss of vision can be quite traumatic since it often robs people of at least a certain degree of their independence. Driving, reading, shopping, watching television and doing other things will become either harder or impossible if AMD progresses far enough.
Even so, recent government statistics reveal that more cases of blindness are expected in the UK as life expectancy rates continue to climb. This means that AMD, which is currently the UK’s No. 1 cause of blindness, is about to become more prevalent. In fact, half of the cases of blindness in the country are attributed to AMD, either in its wet form or dry form. Of the two forms, dry AMD is the most prevalent. People who get the dry form can eventually get the wet form.
According to the press release, AMD occurs when the eye loses central vision such that only peripheral vision remains. This condition makes it hard for people to do certain tasks. Fortunately, there are things people can do to keep their macula healthy and potentially ward off AMD or other eye conditions. In order for the eye’s macula to stay healthy, it needs to consist of Meso-Zeaxanthin, Lutein and Zeaxanthin, according to the press release. Older people will find that their bodies lose some of their ability to manufacture these carotenoids, which can adversely impact eye health. People can use supplements to help improve and maintain eye health.
Some practical tips include the following: Maintain a healthy weight and avoid obesity like the plague, get regular exercise, eat a lot of leafy green vegetables, consume lots of fruit, eat food that contains omega-3 fatty acids, avoid smoking and go in for regular eye tests.
People shouldn’t feel as though AMD is merely a fact of life for the elderly. Although older people are are the most at risk, they can ward off, or at least slow down the progression of the eye condition with a few preventative measures.
This article brought to you by MacularDegenerations.com
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