What Is Macular Degeneration (AMD)
It’s inevitable that as a person grows older, changes in vision occur. You shouldn’t be surprised by this because among the five senses, the sense of sight is pretty much always the first one to be affected by the aging process. While macular degeneration is the main culprit for causing blindness in elderly individuals, many people still don’t really understand the disorder. What is macular degeneration and what causes such a condition?
Age-related macular degeneration or AMD is an eye condition that results from damage at the central region of the retina. This region of the retina is known as the macula, the eye structure that is responsible for sharp vision. Central vision automatically gets damaged when the macula is damaged. The peripheral vision usually stays healthy but damage may likewise be present as the disease progresses. There is very little chance that peripheral vision will get affected, which is why the majority of AMD patients can still see some image on the sides. Macular degeneration patients can typically carry out their usual activities independently, but tasks that require sharp vision like reading can be difficult in due course.
There are two types of macular degeneration: the early stage or dry macular degeneration, and the late stage, or wet macular degeneration. Dry macular degeneration is also called central geographic atrophy, whereas wet macular degeneration may also be called neovascular AMD or exudative AMD.
What is macular degeneration, dry type?
The dry form of AMD is the more prevalent form which is responsible for approximately 90 percent of all cases. But even though it is the more prevalent between the two, dry macular degeneration only accounts for about 10 percent vision loss cases. Dry AMD develops when the macular tissue gets thinner and slowly deteriorates in function.
What is macular degeneration, wet type?
Wet AMD, on the other hand, occurs when abnormal blood vessels proliferate and leak behind the retina. And while the wet form of the condition is less common, it frequently does more damage than the dry type.
The symptoms of AMD may appear in one eye or both eyes. The following are the most common symptoms of the disorder:
- painless blurring of vision
- dark spots seen at the center of vision
- straight lines that appear curved and wavy
- and objects that appear in different colors.
The symptoms may develop slowly and become more pronounces as time passes.
While traditional medicine offers no medication that can reverse the damage on the macula, there are solutions offered by homeopathic practicioners that can not only prevent but reverse macular degeneration.
Free radicals increase our risk of many of the dangerous side effects of obesity and weight loss programs, they increase our risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Parkinson’s disease, macular degeneration, cataracts, fibromyalgia and they accelerate the aging process.
By eliminating the intake of free radicals one can significantly reduce their risks of many diseases. A good insurance policy for protecting yourself against the accidental or unknowing consumption of free radicals is to flood yourself with multiple antioxidants at every meal. The old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” surely fits here. [Hell’s Kitchen by Dr. Joel Wallach and Dr. Ma Lan]