February is National AMD & Low Vision Awareness Month. AMD, or Age-Related Macular Degeneration, is the leading cause of vision loss for Americans age 50 and older and is a common cause of a condition called low vision.
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AMD is a condition or disease of the part of the eye called the macula, which is the central part of the retina (the light-sensitive area in the back of the eye). The macula is responsible for our fine, detailed vision. AMD affects our central vision and makes daily activities such as driving and reading difficult.
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AMD can occur gradually over time as we age, making vision changes and gradual loss of vision more difficult to detect, or it can occur rapidly, leading to vision loss in both eyes. While people with AMD will retain peripheral (side) vision, AMD can make focusing and detecting colors more difficult.
Because AMD can lead to low vision and even loss of vision in severe cases, understanding who is at risk and what the symptoms of AMD are is important.
Risk Factors for AMD
There are three groups of risk factors for AMD:
- Those that we are handed.
- Those that are affected by our overall health and medical condition.
- Those that are controlled by our behavior and lifestyle choices.
1. The first group of risk factors for AMD - those that we are given - includes:
- A family history of AMD
- Aging, particularly over the age of 60
- Being of Caucasian race or decent
- Being female
- Having light-colored eyes
2. The second group of risk factors associated with our health and medical condition includes:
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure or hypertension
- High cholesterol
- Obesity
3. Finally, the third group of risk factors for AMD – behavior and lifestyle choices – includes:
- Smoking
- High sun exposure
- Poor diet, particularly a low intake of antioxidants
While overall risk of AMD varies from one person to the next, it is important to understand the risk factors and, particularly for those at higher risk, to minimize your controllable risk factors. For example, if you know you are at a higher risk for AMD, minimizing sun exposure by wearing blue-light filtering sunglasses or eating a well-balanced diet high in antioxidants may help balance or decrease your risk of developing AMD.
Symptoms of AMD
While the symptoms of AMD may progress slowly, affecting one eye first and then both, or rapidly, affecting both eyes at the same time, there are common vision changes experienced by people with AMD. They are as follows.
- Difficulty seeing:
- In the center of your vision
- Fine details needed for daily activities such as reading, driving, cooking, etc.
- In dim or low light
- Straight lines, which appear wavy, blurry, or even missing
- Colors, which may appear faded or to have changed in appearance
If you or a loved one is experiencing any of these symptoms and changes in vision, it is important to see an eye doctor as soon as possible.
To learn more about AMD and AMD prevention and symptoms, please watch the following short video clips.
In our next post in our National AMD & Low Vision Awareness Month series, learn about eye examinations and tests for AMD and how AMD is diagnosed.
If you are concerned about your vision and eye health or that of a loved one, please contact us today to schedule an appointment.
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