Over 50? Find out more about this age related eye problem with Stephen Olwell Opticians

Hi there, Stephen here again with some more information regarding your eyes and their health.Sorry it’s been so long.

Last summer I wrote an article about sun exposure that seemed to catch the interest of a lot of people, so I wanted to come back to that topic this month.

I’m not going to talk about cataracts this time, but more about another eye condition that has links to excessive sun exposure. This is macular degeneration, and I want to let you know what it is, and how you can reduce your risk of developing it.

Macular degeneration, sometimes AMD, ARMD or MMD is a condition that affects the central area of the retina in the eye and so affects our central, precise vision. This is the vision we use to see details, like reading and writing, or looking at photos or doing intricate work with our hands.

It has been linked to the ageing process (AMD/ARMD = Age related macular degeneration), short-sightedness above -5.00 (MMD = Myopic macular degeneration), smoking, genetics and intense blue light exposure.

What is it?

Macular degeneration causes a loss of central vision in one or both eyes and can be sudden or gradual over years. If the damage is severe, and central vision is affected enough, then a person may have difficulties seeing precise detail like print in books or other people’s faces.

As I mentioned, macular degeneration can be gradual or sudden. These 2 types are generally
called dry (gradual) and wet (sudden).

They are caused by a leakage of abnormal material or development of abnormal blood vessels under the retina at the macula.

What causes it?

These abnormal developments in the retina have been linked to many different causes, including genetics and ageing, neither of which we can avoid. However, there are links also to oxidative stress in the retina, which is linked to smoking and sun exposure.

This means that we have means to reduce our risk of developing macular degeneration, by reducing our exposure to oxidative stress or increasing antioxidants, which help repair this damage, in our diet.

How can we do this?

The obvious means of reducing this stress are by reducing or stopping smoking, if possible, and by reducing our exposure to the sun and blue light damage, by wearing sunglasses all year round.

Antioxidants are the other means we have of repairing damage, and these are readily available
in foods that we eat. The nutrients Lutein and Zeaxanthin are found in green, leafy vegetables,
especially spinach and kale, and highly coloured like red peppers. They are also found in high
concentrations in egg yolks, corn products, like tortilla chips and sweetcorn, and in durum
wheat, used in pasta making.

Macular degeneration can be devastating to vision, but as you can see, there is a lot that we
can do to reduce our risks, by changing or adding to our diet, by cutting down on cigarettes and
by reducing exposure to excessive sunlight.

In the case of myopic macular degeneration, the best way to reduce risk is to try and reduce the
amount of myopia.

If you are concerned about the health of your eyes, do visit your local optician who will assess
your macular health as part of a comprehensive eye examination.

Stephen Olwell Opticians
 Address: 10 Grafton Court, Longford | Tel: 043 33 42653
Website: stephenolwellopticians.com | ✉️ Email: info@longfordopticians.com
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