Could I Have Dry Macular Degeneration?

If you are 50 years old or older and you are experiencing any loss of vision, it is highly probable that you have age-related macular degeneration, also known as ARMD.  As you get older and the arteries to your retina began to harden, there is an increase in the likelihood that you have this eye disorder. 

Your retinal tissue needs oxygen and nutrients to function properly and without these essential elements, you will experience deterioration of your central (not peripheral) vision.  In severe cases, your ability to drive will be greatly limited.  Dry macular degeneration is one type of macular degeneration that can occur in older individuals.

There seems to be many things that can cause macular degeneration.  These include such things as aging, nutrition, genetics, history of smoking, and excessive exposure to sunlight.  As you age, it is important for you to watch for the following symptoms if you think you might have a form of macular degeneration:

•    A gradual or sudden loss of your central vision
•    Difficulty in seeing detail when reading or performing certain tasks
•    Any distortion of vision such as straight lines looking wavy

There are two types of macular degeneration – Wet and Dry.  Dry macular degeneration is also known as non-neovascular degeneration and is the most common type of macular degeneration.  (Wet macular degeneration occurs only 10% of the time.)   Dry macular degeneration is generally less severe than wet macular degeneration and usually results in a slow and gradual loss of vision.  This type causes the pigment in the retina to decrease and results in small, yellowish deposits that form within the retina layers.  

Good nutrition seems to be a key factor in the prevention of macular degeneration.  There have been studies conducted that indicate that individual eating a diet consisting of lots of fruits and leafy green vegetables seem to have a lower incidence of macular degeneration.  Once the disease progresses, however, there is not evidence that a diet of fruits and vegetables prevent further degeneration. 

Don’t give up if you are diagnosed with dry macular degeneration.  While there is no therapy currently available for dry macular degeneration, there are some ways that your disease can be managed.  Wet macular degeneration is more easily treated but dry macular degeneration can sometimes be treated with laser photocoagulation which seals blood vessels in the eye.  This treatment will not restore any vision you have already lost but may prevent any further damage to your eye.  Also, enhancing your daily diet with leafy, green vegetables and fruits of any kind will likely assist in the management of your disease.