Knowing the risk
factors associated with age related macular degeneration (AMD) is important
information for seniors as this eye diseases is a leading cause of severe
vision loss among Americans ages 65 and over. Besides knowing your risk factors
for AMD it is also important to be aware of your family history as well as scheduling
regular eye exam appointments, as these simple steps can help reduce your risks
for vision loss from macular degeneration. The
key to preventing vision loss from age related macular degeneration is early
detection, diagnosis and treatment.
Top AMD Risks
Top AMD Risks
Ø Being over the
Age of 60
Ø Having a Family
History of AMD
Ø Cigarette Smoking
Ø Obesity
Ø Hypertension
If you have any two of these risk factors, and you
have not already done so, you should schedule an appointment for a complete eye
exam and evaluation. We may recommend certain preventive measures which can
reduce your risk of vision loss from this disorder by managing certain
lifestyle and health related choices you can make.
Some AMD risks
can be managed by changing certain lifestyle habits such as stopping smoking,
eating a low fat diet rich in green leafy vegetables and reducing alcohol
consumption, whereas others such as genetic factors cannot be changed. However,
knowing your family medical history is one way to learn whether you may be
genetically predisposed to a disease. One way to reduce AMD risk is to quit
smoking or never start. For patients at
high risk for developing late stage AMD, taking a dietary supplement of vitamin
C, vitamin E and beta carotene, along with zinc, has been shown to lower the
risk of AMD advancing to advanced stages by 25 percent.
Know the Symptoms of Wet AMD!
Anyone at risk
for AMD should become familiar with the symptoms of Wet AMD as Wet AMD is the
form most likely to cause rapid, serious and potentially catastrophic vision
loss. With early detection, diagnosis
and treatment it is often possible to avoid or minimize vision loss from Wet
AMD.
Symptoms of AMD
can include sudden, noticeable loss or distortion of vision, such as seeing
“wavy” lines, “distortion”, “bending of straight lines and objects” or even a
“distortion of people’s faces” or “a dark or black spot in the center of
vision”. If you experience any of these symptoms, please call Alabama Eye &
cataract Center right away, explain your symptoms and request an immediate appointment. Current treatments for Wet AMD
such as Lucentis® Injections and Eylea® Injections provide an excellent chance
of stopping vision loss and may actually restore some vision when macular
degeneration develops. The earlier we diagnose Wet AMD, the better our chance
of offering you a successful treatment.
If you or someone you know is
concerned about senior eye problems such as age related macular degeneration (AMD), or has known risk factors for macular degeneration, please schedule an
eye examination at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham by calling
205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or
http://www.facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.
Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham is
leading eye care center located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite
501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205 and staffed by UAB Medicine Ophthalmologists
Marc Michelson, M.D. and Tyler Hall, M.D.
