An unfortunate fact of growing older is that the body begins to wear out. Seniors have to get their hips and knees replaced. They need hearing aids to hear and eyeglasses to see. Not all vision problems can be solved with glasses however. The macular degeneration Washington DC retirees experience is one of those problems. Also called ARMD, this disease affects the area of one's retina that regulates vision sharpness. As the area degenerates seniors lose the ability to drive, read, watch television, and work on their electronic devices.
There are two forms of this disease, the wet and the dry. Of these two, dry ARMD is far and away the most common. The wet form is more severe and more likely to lead to a serious loss of eyesight. The dry form is the earliest stage of the disease. Vision loss is gradual with dry ARMD, but can degenerate into geographic atrophy which causes severe loss of eyesight. Early signs of the disease include fuzziness, distortions, and shadowy areas in a person's line of vision.
Losing your eyesight is scary, and people want to know what causes it, and if there are ways to avoid the condition. Experts say the most common cause is age, but there are other risk factors as well. These include being female, Caucasian, overweight, and a smoker. It also appears to run in families.
One of the highest risk factors is smoking. There is evidence that individuals who smoke comprise nearly a quarter of those with the most severe form of this disease. Just living with someone who smokes is a risk factor. You are twice as likely to fall victim to this disease if you live with a smoker.
Two other factors, and ones you can't do anything about, are heredity and eye color. Twins often share this disease. The lighter the color of your eyes, the more likely you are to develop ARMD. People with darker eye coloring have extra pigment that some researchers believe helps protect them from sun exposure. So far the evidence is inconclusive on this theory.
ARMD can develop as the result of taking certain drugs. One on the list is an anti-malarial drug. Another is the anti-psychotic drug, thorazine. Physicians sometimes prescribe thorazine for excessive hiccuping, vomiting, and nausea as well. There is not unanimous agreement about the risk factors, with the exception of aging and smoking.
Macular degeneration is not curable at the present time. The most effective treatments only slow the disease's progression and help prevent sufferers from developing the more severe wet form. There is growing evidence certain diets can help prevent ARMD or slow the progression at least.
Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon and other cold water fish are among the foods scientists are studying. Until a cure is found, the best idea for seniors is to eat a diet high in omega-3s, and exercise regularly. Most importantly, stay away from tobacco.
There are two forms of this disease, the wet and the dry. Of these two, dry ARMD is far and away the most common. The wet form is more severe and more likely to lead to a serious loss of eyesight. The dry form is the earliest stage of the disease. Vision loss is gradual with dry ARMD, but can degenerate into geographic atrophy which causes severe loss of eyesight. Early signs of the disease include fuzziness, distortions, and shadowy areas in a person's line of vision.
Losing your eyesight is scary, and people want to know what causes it, and if there are ways to avoid the condition. Experts say the most common cause is age, but there are other risk factors as well. These include being female, Caucasian, overweight, and a smoker. It also appears to run in families.
One of the highest risk factors is smoking. There is evidence that individuals who smoke comprise nearly a quarter of those with the most severe form of this disease. Just living with someone who smokes is a risk factor. You are twice as likely to fall victim to this disease if you live with a smoker.
Two other factors, and ones you can't do anything about, are heredity and eye color. Twins often share this disease. The lighter the color of your eyes, the more likely you are to develop ARMD. People with darker eye coloring have extra pigment that some researchers believe helps protect them from sun exposure. So far the evidence is inconclusive on this theory.
ARMD can develop as the result of taking certain drugs. One on the list is an anti-malarial drug. Another is the anti-psychotic drug, thorazine. Physicians sometimes prescribe thorazine for excessive hiccuping, vomiting, and nausea as well. There is not unanimous agreement about the risk factors, with the exception of aging and smoking.
Macular degeneration is not curable at the present time. The most effective treatments only slow the disease's progression and help prevent sufferers from developing the more severe wet form. There is growing evidence certain diets can help prevent ARMD or slow the progression at least.
Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon and other cold water fish are among the foods scientists are studying. Until a cure is found, the best idea for seniors is to eat a diet high in omega-3s, and exercise regularly. Most importantly, stay away from tobacco.
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