What you see?
If you have AMD then you may experience blurred or cloudy areas in your central vision, or even rapid central vision loss. AMD affects your macula, the part of the eye responsible for your central vision, which is used for reading, driving and performing other activities that require fine, sharp or straight-ahead vision.
click image to enlarge
Types of AMD
Dry AMD
The most common form, affecting approximately 90% of people who have the disease
Wet AMD
This type of AMD affects only about 10% of people with the disease, but it is responsible for 90% of severe vision loss
Who experiences AMD
Risk Factors
- Occurs naturally as we age – AMD is the leading cause of irreversible central blindness in people 65 years of age and older
- Hereditary (family history)
- Light eye/skin colour
Modifiable lifestyle risk factors include
- Excessive sunlight
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- Diet
- Alcohol
Symptoms of DRY AMD
- Blurred vision and cloudy areas of central vision
- Dark spots in front of the eyes
- Reduced sensitivity to contrast
- Difficulty adjusting from bright to dim lighting
- Difficulty reading small print
- There is no pain associated with either form of AMD
Symptoms of WET AMD
- Large dark spots in or around the central vision
- Rapid or sudden visual loss over days or weeks
- Blindness
Causes of DRY AMD
- Drusen accumulation under the retina, as AMD progresses, drusen impair the ability of vision cells to transport vital nutrients to the macula, which lead to noticeable symptoms
Causes of WET AMD
- Abnormal blood vessels behind the macular start to grow under the retina, pushing the macular up from its normal position to leak, bleed and scar, resulting in rapid central vision loss
What to do
- AMD goes largely unnoticed in the early stages, and can only be detected through a dilated eye exam
- Since peripheral vision is not affected, many people with dry AMD continue in their normal lifestyles with the aid of low-vision optical devices, such as magnifiers
- There are currently no direct treatments for dry AMD, although the use of some nutritional supplements may slow the progression
- Wet AMD is treated with injected medications and/or laser surgery by sealing off the leaking blood vessels. These are usually brief and painless outpatient procedures that slow and sometimes even reverse, the progression of the degeneration. However, a small, permanently dark spot is left where the laser makes contact
Eye Nutrition Supplements
If you have been diagnosed with Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) or being at risk of developing AMD you may not be getting enough important nutrients from your diet to maintain optimal eye health. Our bodies do not produce these vital eye health nutrients and most multivitamin supplements do not contain enough of the right nutrients your eyes need. It has been proven that vitamin and mineral supplementation can reduce the risk of progression of moderate to advanced AMD.1-5
