How to Reduce the Risk of Age-related Vision Loss

It is not a secret that advanced age is one of the main risk factors for the development of any form of eye disease. Meanwhile, eye doctors identify four major eye diseases that are directly related to aging changes in the body: glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy as well as age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD). Of course, each of these diseases deserves a separate discussion, but in this article we will tell you about the last one.

Macula or the Yellow Spot

“Macula, also known as the yellow spot, is an oval spot with a diameter as small as 5 mm at the center of the retina. It is the part of the retina that is responsible for sharp, detailed central vision (also called visual acuity). The macula contains the highest concentration of photoreceptor (light sensing) cells; when light hits them, the photoreceptors convert the light into signals which reach the brain through the nerve fibers, and we get a clear image of the world around us. With age, the metabolism of the tissues of the macula weakens, and some of the cells die. That causes a sharp decrease in visual acuity, and the ability to distinguish between shades of colors is lost.

Symptoms of the disease depend on the part of the macula which is damaged. If lesions are in the central part (foveola), they usually lead to a sharp decline in visual acuity. If other parts of the macula are affected, this results in a limited visual field while the patients themselves often do not feel any changes. Such defects can only be detected by an eye specialist. Still, an alarm signal may be set off – distorted object perception, when straight lines appear wavy, letters “dance” all over the text, objects look bigger or smaller than normal. – The erroneous perception is caused by macula edema in its early stages”, – Yanina Hnatenko, the Director of Okomedikas Ophthalmology Clinic in Cherkasy, explains.

This Eye Disease Is Associated With Aging

As mentioned above, the cause of macular degeneration is directly associated with aging: after all, if among 60–70-year-olds every tenth person suffers from AMD, then among those aged 75 and over one in every three persons has this eye disorder. Moreover, there are associated risk factors. They are the following (besides advanced age):

• Being female (especially blue-eyed blondes)
• Smoking. It has been proved that smokers have twice the chance of getting AMD than non-smokers, because cigarette smoke stimulates the formation of harmful free radicals that damage photoreceptor cells.
• High blood pressure. Arterial hypertension can cause retinal vein occlusion when a blood clot blocks the vein, which provokes AMD.
• Diabetes
• Lack of essential vitamins and minerals. This deficiency negatively affects the density of macular pigment; thus, causing a progressive degeneration of the macula.
• Obesity. There is a lower macular pigment density in the eyes of overweight individuals.
• Exposure to direct sunlight – that is why eye doctors strongly advise to wear sunglasses on a sunny day.
• Genetic (inherited) factors.

How to Select the Best Treatment Options

Only an eye doctor can decide on the best methods of treatment of AMD. Currently, there are a lot of diagnostic tools that can accurately locate the structural damage and help develop the treatment plan.

Remember: in people of retirement age macular degeneration is one of the most frequent causes of blindness, so every person over the age of 40, especially those at greatest risk, should regularly visit their ophthalmologist.