Here are a few facts you should know about vision-threatening eye diseases

1. Lower Your Risk of Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of severe vision loss among the elderly aged 65 years and over. It is a slowly progressive disease and your risk of getting the disease increases with your increasing age

Certain factors raise your risk of age-related macular degeneration

One strong risk factor that people may not be aware of is family history. It’s important to find out whether your relatives have had AMD and to tell your ophthalmologist if you have a history of AMD in your family.

Are you at risk of developing AMD?

Schedule a comprehensive eye exam with an ophthalmologist if you:

Are over the age of 60
Have a family history of AMD
Smoke cigarettes
Are overweight or obese
Have high blood pressure

Your ophthalmologist will recommend steps to reduce your risk of vision loss.

Lowering your risk of AMD

One way to reduce your risk of AMD is to quit smoking. Following an eye-healthy diet can also work wonders for your vision.

You can’t control all your risks, however. For example, you can’t do anything about your genetics. Knowing the family medical history and sharing it with your ophthalmologist is an important step to protecting your vision.

For patients at high risk for developing late-stage wet AMD, taking a specific, AMD dietary supplement lowers that risk by 25%. Always check with your ophthalmologist before starting any dietary supplement.

How to recognize the first symptoms of AMD

There are two types of AMD: wet and dry. Dry AMD — called “dry” because it doesn’t cause fluid to leak from blood vessels in the eye — is the most common type. But the wet form causes the most rapid, severe vision loss. Wet AMD can lead to permanent loss of central vision. Your central vision is essential for driving, reading, and recognizing faces.

Watch out for symptoms of wet AMD, such as:

sudden, noticeable loss of vision, or
sudden distortion of vision, such as seeing “wavy” lines.

See an ophthalmologist right away if these symptoms occur.

Early diagnosis of macular degeneration can help save your vision

The earlier you’re diagnosed with AMD, the better your chances of successful treatment. Certain treatments can potentially stop vision loss. Injections of anti-VEGF drugs may actually restore some vision in people with wet AMD.

Reduce your chance for vision loss from macular degeneration by: