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| Milton Kahn, MD, Retina Specialist |
Age relatedmacular degeneration (AMD) continues to be the leading cause of visual
impairment in the United States for people over age 65, affecting some 15
million people and remaining a leading cause of blindness in those aged 65 and
older. Knowing your risk factors, being
aware of your family history, and scheduling regular eye exam appointments with
your eye doctor 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 as recommended by your
eye doctor.
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, you
should schedule an appointment with for a complete eye exam and evaluation. If
necessary, we may recommend additional testing and suggest certain preventive
measures which can reduce your risk of vision loss from this disorder.
Minimizing the Effects of AMD Risk Factors
Certain medical and lifestyle factors can be controlled or improved by patients being aware, compliant and diligent with recommendations. The key here is for patients over 50 to be aware of their risks such as any family history, prolonged daily use of aspirin, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, eating a fatty diet and other types of vascular disease. These are generally manageable. 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. Eating green leafy vegetables and reducing alcohol consumption are also helpful in preventing AMD. Other risk factors 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.
Certain medical and lifestyle factors can be controlled or improved by patients being aware, compliant and diligent with recommendations. The key here is for patients over 50 to be aware of their risks such as any family history, prolonged daily use of aspirin, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, eating a fatty diet and other types of vascular disease. These are generally manageable. 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. Eating green leafy vegetables and reducing alcohol consumption are also helpful in preventing AMD. Other risk factors 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.
Symptoms of Wet AMD-Be Aware!
Be aware of the
symptoms of Wet AMD as this type of age related macular degeneration causes the
most rapid, serious and even catastrophic vision loss. Symptoms of Wet AMD can
include sudden, noticeable loss or distortion of vision, such as seeing “wavy”
lines, “distortion,” “bending of straight lines and objects-or even people’s faces looking
distorted-which means that there may already be fluid of some type under the
macula. This requires urgent attention and patients experiencing this
need to see us immediately. If you experience
any of these symptoms, please call our office right away and explain your
symptoms and request an immediate appointment. Current
treatments for Wet AMD provide an excellent chance of stopping vision loss and
may actually restore some vision when macular degeneration develops. Earlier
diagnosis of wet AMD gives a better chance of successful treatment with drug therapy, such as Lucentis® and Eylea®
injections.
If
you or someone you know has a question about age related macular degeneration
risk factors or needs and eye exam for AMD, please call The
Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or
facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.
The EyeCare & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield Avenue,
Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059
and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout
central and northern New Jersey.
