AMD awareness month - Are You at Risk?

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss in adults over age 65. Prevent Blindness America observes the month of February as a time to raise awareness about this important health issue, which not too many people know about yet millions are threatened by.
Risk factors for AMD are:

• Caucasian race
• over age 65
• Smoking
• Eating a low nutrient diet
• Family history of AMD

My grandmother had AMD and she was a really cool, fit, healthy, witty woman well into her 80's. I mean, the woman wore halter tops and shorts and sat cross legged on the living room floor discussing politics with anyone. At 5' and 98 lbs., that's just cute. She was always independent, "spunky", she called herself, lived in her own house, did her own cooking. But when her vision started fading due to AMD and she could no longer write her own checks, she kind of gave up on life...

Don't let that happen to you or your loved ones. Get annual vision exams. Discuss nutrition strategies with your eye doctor. Lots of green leafy vegetables and antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, beta carotene (vitamin A) and omega-3 fatty acids may help.

New treatments are now available:

• Lucentis (ranibizumab) was approved in 2006 to treat AMD and is injected into the eye.
• Macugen (pegabtanib) was approved in 2004 to treat wet AMD
  
• Laser treatments:
• Photodynamic therapy (PDT)
• Photocoagulation

Discuss treatment options today with your ophthalmologist if you have been diagnosed with AMD.

Thank you anentz for use of photo of Blurred Vision.