It is just a fact of life that as people age body parts begin to wear out. Seniors have knees and hips replaced, install hearing aids, and wear prescription glasses to read and drive. Some are unfortunate enough to have vision problems glasses can't completely resolve. One of them is the age related macular degeneration Washington DC seniors, along with others, suffer from. Also known as ARMD, this is a condition that affects an area of the retina that regulates sharpness of vision. When it goes, the ability to read, drive, watch television, and work on a computer usually go with it.
The disease will take one of two forms, either wet or dry. Of these two, dry ARMD is much more prevalent. Wet ARMD is much more severe and will lead to serious loss of vision. Dry ARMD is the earlier stage of this disease. The loss of eyesight is usually gradual. It may degenerate into what is called geographic atrophy. That can cause severe loss of vision. Symptoms of ARMD include distortions, fuzziness, and shadowed areas in an individual's line of vision.
The thought of losing your vision is scary. People are concerned about the causes and what can be done to avoid it. Age is the most common cause, but that are other factors that put individuals at risk as well. These factors include being Caucasian, a woman, a smoker, and overweight. It is believed that the disease has a genetic component.
Smokers are at especially high risk to get the disease. Studies show that individuals who use tobacco are twenty-five percent more likely to get ARMD. It is risky to live with someone who smokes. Living with a smoker makes you two times more likely to get ARMD as those who cohabit with non-smokers.
Other factors people don't have control over include eye color and heredity. It's not unusual for twins to be affected. Individuals with light colored eyes are more susceptible to the disease. It is believed by some that the extra pigment associated with dark eyes is a protection against exposure to the sun. The evidence is not conclusive however.
ARMD can be an unpleasant side effect of some drugs. An anti-malarial drug is one of these. Anti-psychotic drugs like thorazine are included in the list. Thorazine is also prescribed to treat nausea, hiccups, and vomiting. There are conflicting conclusions about all of these risk factors, except aging and smoking.
There is no cure for ARMD. The current treatments available can slow the progression of the disease and help prevent patients from slipping into the wet form of ARMD. There is some evidence that a person's diet can help prevent the onset of this disease or at least slow its progress.
Food that is high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as cold water fish like salmon, is being researched by the scientific community for its effectiveness in preventing ARMD. Until there is a cure, seniors should consider eating an omega-3 rich diet and get plenty of exercise, Tobacco must be avoided at all costs. Seniors who are still smoking must quit the habit immediately.
The disease will take one of two forms, either wet or dry. Of these two, dry ARMD is much more prevalent. Wet ARMD is much more severe and will lead to serious loss of vision. Dry ARMD is the earlier stage of this disease. The loss of eyesight is usually gradual. It may degenerate into what is called geographic atrophy. That can cause severe loss of vision. Symptoms of ARMD include distortions, fuzziness, and shadowed areas in an individual's line of vision.
The thought of losing your vision is scary. People are concerned about the causes and what can be done to avoid it. Age is the most common cause, but that are other factors that put individuals at risk as well. These factors include being Caucasian, a woman, a smoker, and overweight. It is believed that the disease has a genetic component.
Smokers are at especially high risk to get the disease. Studies show that individuals who use tobacco are twenty-five percent more likely to get ARMD. It is risky to live with someone who smokes. Living with a smoker makes you two times more likely to get ARMD as those who cohabit with non-smokers.
Other factors people don't have control over include eye color and heredity. It's not unusual for twins to be affected. Individuals with light colored eyes are more susceptible to the disease. It is believed by some that the extra pigment associated with dark eyes is a protection against exposure to the sun. The evidence is not conclusive however.
ARMD can be an unpleasant side effect of some drugs. An anti-malarial drug is one of these. Anti-psychotic drugs like thorazine are included in the list. Thorazine is also prescribed to treat nausea, hiccups, and vomiting. There are conflicting conclusions about all of these risk factors, except aging and smoking.
There is no cure for ARMD. The current treatments available can slow the progression of the disease and help prevent patients from slipping into the wet form of ARMD. There is some evidence that a person's diet can help prevent the onset of this disease or at least slow its progress.
Food that is high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as cold water fish like salmon, is being researched by the scientific community for its effectiveness in preventing ARMD. Until there is a cure, seniors should consider eating an omega-3 rich diet and get plenty of exercise, Tobacco must be avoided at all costs. Seniors who are still smoking must quit the habit immediately.
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