AMD Is More Than Chips

By Bayle Emlein

If you're a techie who wants to continue seeing your screen, you need information about the AMD that applies to all adults. Judith Delgado of AMD.org thinks that it is important for computer users to know a few things about age-related macular degeneration. Eyes are a most personal body part and caring for them is critical to personal functioning and identity.

   

There are 2 forms of AMD, wet and dry. Currently only dry AMD has a medical intervention. However, healthy living habits affect both varieties. Macular degeneration is a chronic, degenerative disease. The macula controls central vision--the area of the eye that you use to drive, recognize faces, use your computer . . .

   

Dry macular degeneration progresses slowly. As we age, small deposits of protein collect in the back of the eye. Progression of collection of these dry spots into larger and larger spots may eventually result in blank spots large enough to affect vision. The collection of protein islands may lead to wet macular degeneration, which is the rupture of blood vessels in the macula. As the cells die off, the body is encouraged to build extra blood vessels to help support the deteriorating area. When someone has a heart attack and the body builds extra blood vessels, the organ might be saved. Not such a good plan in the eyes. Wet macular degeneration often progresses quite quickly.

Some risk factors cannot be controlled, such as genetics. Women and people with light eyes are more vulnerable. Factors you can control include not smoking smoking. Sun glasses help protect the eyes from damaging UV and a hat or cap with a brim protects the eyes from the rays that sneak around those designer shades. People who eat fruits and vegetables are less likely to develop macular degeneration. Leafy greens are especially beneficial. Nine servings a day is the current recommendation. Before you choke, realize that a “serving” is defined as half a cup. (Don't you wish they could just say that? Or let us know how many spinach leaves to chomp?) Eating several servings of fatty cold water fish appears to be another protective factor, as does avoiding a high glycemic diet (highly refined flour and other starches and sugars).  Moderate exercise is also recommended. It improves circulation to all body parts, including your eyes.

Although a doctor may tell you there is nothing can be done, there are steps that might help. If your doctor tells you to take vitamins including lutein or xanthin, just do it. If you are not diagnosed, avoid dosing yourself with high-potency vitamins. More of a good thing may not be better.

Associated with AMD and other vision loss is Charles Bonnet syndrome. Charles Bonnet describes the tendency of people who experience profound vision loss to see things that are not there. Doctors generally don't often tell people about this phenomenon, adding to the unfortunate emotional effects of vision loss. One of the early warning signs of macular degeneration is that straight lines, such as door frames or Venetian blinds, start to look wavey. In the privacy of your own home you can download an Amsler grid to check. The Amsler grid is an array of lines creating squares of about a quarter inch. If the lines wiggle or wobble, make an appointment with your eye doctor. Not necessarily quite as fast as if you experienced a sudden loss of vision indicating a wet AMD episode. In this case, as for strokes and heart attacks, speed of treatment greatly affects damage control. Even simpler is the face test, where you overcome resistance to looking directly in a mirror and be sure that you can see your nose when looking out of either eye.

Absolutely nothing to sell here. As the ads say, your vision is priceless. Protect it. Put down the donut, stand up and walk around in a few circles, or better yet go outside and walk somewhere for a few minutes. There is a world beyond your screen.