Maintaining Good Eye Health As You Age

As you age, the health of your eyes becomes more of a priority. With time, you tend to become more susceptible to common eye issues, like glaucoma, cataracts and even age-related macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration can greatly affect the way you go about your daily life. Knowing what to look for, and working with trusted eye care professionals, can put you on the path to maintaining good eye health for years.

What is Age-Related Macular Degeneration?

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) occurs when a part of the retina called the ‘macula’ is damaged, either through natural progression or eye-related trauma.

Usually with AMD, you lose central vision, while still maintaining your peripheral vision.

There are two types of AMD, wet and dry.

Dry AMD, which accounts for nearly 80% of all documented AMD cases, is when the macula thins over time and small protein clumps accumulate, damaging your central vision.

Wet AMD occurs when blood vessels grow under the retina. These vessels can break and leak blood, and other fluids. This can cause scarring to the macula.

Both versions can be diagnosed and placed under control if caught early enough.

Scheduling regular visits with an eye care professional can help minimize the damaged caused by AMD.

AMD Symptoms

As you age, certain symptoms may arise that can affect your eyesight, but knowing the signs and catching them early enough can help your ophthalmologist recommend the right treatment options. Symptoms for both wet and dry AMD can include:

• Blurry distance vision

• Haziness and lack of color vividness
• Difficulty transitioning from bright to low light
• Distorted spatial recognition
• Inability to recognize peoples’ faces
• Gray or blank spots in vision

If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s best to contact your preferred eye care specialist as soon as possible to get an accurate diagnosis.

Ongoing Research and Treatment

To help champion possible treatment options for the future, it’s important to advocate continued eye health research. New information and insights help us develop new ways to improve and maintain the condition of your vision.

We’re always looking for new patients to participate in our clinical studies. If you, or someone you know, qualify for any of our current or future studies, contact us to learn how you can become an important participant in ongoing research. You can also start the enrollment process today.

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