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Age related macular degeneration (ARMD)
causes millions of cases of visual impairment every year world-wide. It
affects one in four Americans between the ages of 65 and 75, and it is
estimated that incidence of macular degeneration will increase by 400% in the next 30
years. It is the commonest cause of partial blindness in Europe. Even if
you consider yourself 'young', you still need to take steps now to
prevent macular degeneration in the future.
The
macula is a part of the retina, the light-sensitive layer of the eye
which picks up visual images. It is responsible for the central part of
your vision, which explains why people with macular degeneration may have dark spots in
the centre of their vision.
For some unknown reason, women are
twice as likely as men to develop macular degeneration. People over the age of 70, those
who have been exposed to sunlight for long periods and heavy smokers are
more at risk than the general population. People who have blue or green
eyes have a high risk of developing macular degeneration.
Macular degeneration comes in two types: the 'dry' form
and the 'wet' form. The 'dry' form is the more common of the two and in
this the loss vision is gradual. In the 'wet' form, the macula is
flooded with liquid from swollen and leaking arteries from under the
retina. This may cause sudden loss of vision but no pain.
People who have macular degeneration
may have difficulty seeing the centre of an image while the peripheral
vision remains normal. This can cause difficulty in :
- reading
- watching television
- writing
- anything else which requires
detailed vision
Fortunately, macular degeneration
doesn't usually cause complete blindness.
The causes of macular degeneration are
not clear. It is connected to age - as people live longer, the
likelihood of macular degeneration increases. Damage caused by free radicals and by sun
radiation has been blamed, at least partially.
Laser treatment can be effective in
some cases of macular degeneration but it isn't always satisfactory in
the long term. A diet containing high levels of antioxidants has been
suggested by some authorities, both to prevent and to treat the
condition. Cataract is another eye disease which may be amenable to
treatment with antioxidants and it may be worth taking supplements to
deal with both diseases.
Suitable supplements are the vitamins
C, E and beta carotene, the minerals selenium and zinc, and ginkgo
biloba and bilberry extracts, which improve blood circulation in the
retina. Also recommended are isoflavones, lycioene and lutein. Some
doctors endorse the use of up to 25,000 units of beta carotene a day to
help slow down the appearance of age related macular degeneration. Lutein, in particular, has been
touted as a good preventor of the disease. Foods high in lutein are
corn, broccoli, spinach and tomato sauce.
As with the case of cataract,
protecting your eyes from strong sunshine is recommended. If you want to
be safe, then slip, slap, slop, sling
An experiment treatment which claims a
good success rate in treating macular degeneration is a technique called "apheresis
filtration'. This makes use of special biological filters to clear from
the blood abnormal proteins and other impurities which are thought to be
involved in macular degeneration. This technique is available in a
handful of centers in the USA, but other centers in Europe and elsewhere
plan to offer this facility if more research confirms the initial
benefits.
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