Is There Anything I Can Do To Prevent Macular Degeneration?

Unfortunately, there are not any known ways to completely prevent age related macular degeneration. That said, there are many ways that you lower your risk. These tips have been known to help those who were genetically pre-disposed to macular degeneration. Below are some secrets in lowering your risks before it is too late.

Get your eyes examined early. Regular eye exams are critical in determining if you are at risk for developing macular degeneration or not. If you are pre-disposed genetically, you should make sure to schedule annual exams. This will help prevent potential eye loss later. It could also delay loss of vision of the doctors can detect it early on.

Quit smoking. It is a known fact that those who smoke are up to 2 times more likely to have macular degeneration. The earlier you quit the lower the risk.

Eat well. By modifying your diet to eat more nuts and fruit can help you lower your odds of getting macular degeneration. If you are allergic to nuts, you can take vitamins or supplements that are rich in omega-3’s as well as vitamin A and luteins.

If you are already suffering from dry macular degeneration, there are measure you can take to prevent it from advancing.

Some of these are:

·         Eat your spinach. By modifying your diet to eat more dark green vegetables you can actually slow the progression and further vision loss. Your doctor may also want you to take vitamins and supplements.

·         Exercise. By maintaining a healthy weight you will also lower your risk in getting more advanced forms of AMD.

·         Hold the fat. Be sure to lower your fat and cholesterol intake. These fats can actually accelerate your AMD.

·         Wear UV blocking sunglasses. You will want to protect your eyes from the harmful sun rays especially if you are already experiencing dry macular degeneration.

Many doctors also treat AMD with advanced vitamin treatments. These vitamins include Vitamins A,C, and E. In addition, your physician might prescribe high levels of Zinc. Before you start high doses of vitamins, make sure you check with your doctor. Some high doses of vitamins can react with medications you may already be taking. If you have high blood pressure or diabetes, you will want to make sure you keep these diseases in check. These diseases may have an impact on the type of care you receive.

In extreme cases, you may also require laser surgery to destroy blood vessels before they cause additional damage to your vision. This process can also cause vision loss, but may be the only hope if your case has advanced symptoms.

It is clear that early detection and prevention can help significantly with AMD. Maintain your weight and diet and you will be on the right track to maintain your eye health as you age.