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Article

Can you slow down eyesight deterioration?

Can you slow down eyesight degeneration before it’s too late or even prevent it in the first place?

ARE YOU NOTICING YOUR eyesight deteriorating? Maybe you suffer with blurry vision or have difficulty adjusting to very bright conditions? If so, you could be suffering from macular degeneration which affects people over the age of 60 but can also develop in those in their forties and
fifties.

Age-related macular degeneration also known as AMD) is a progressivecondition which affects a small part of the retina at the back of your eye called the macula. The resulting problems of AMD include distorted or blurry central vision, sensitivity to light and may affect one or both eyes. The impact it has on your eyesight means looking directly at something – such as a newspaper or the television – becomes extremely difficult to see clearly. Over a period of time, your slightly blurry or distorted vision will develop a ‘blank
spot’ in your central vision.

How Age-related Macula Degeneration affects your vision. There are two types of Age-related Macula Degeneration. There is ‘wet’ (neovascular) or ‘dry’ (nonneovascular). About 10% of those who suffer from macular degeneration have wet AMD. This type occurs when new vessels form to improve the blood supply to oxygen-deprived tissue in the retina. However, the new vessels break easily, causing bleeding and damage to the cells of the macula.

There are 3 stages to dry AMD and these can occur in one or both eyes:

  • 1. Early AMDThose with early AMD have either several small damaged patches in their
    eye known as ‘drusen’ or a few medium-sized patches. At this stage, there
    are no symptoms and no vision loss.
  • 2. Intermediate AMDBy this time, many medium-sized drusen has developed. Some people see
    a blurred spot in the centre of their vision. More light may be needed for
    reading and other tasks.
  • 3. Advanced Dry AMDIn addition to drusen, people with advanced dry AMD have a breakdown
    of light-sensitive cells and supporting tissue around the centre of the
    retina. This breakdown contributes further to blurred spot in the centre of
    your vision. Over time, the blurred spot may get bigger and darker, taking
    more of your central vision. It may be difficult to read or recognise faces.