DRY AGE RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a problem with your retina in the back of the eye. It happens when a part of the retina called the macula is damaged. With AMD you lose your central vision. You cannot see fine details, whether you are looking at something close or far. But your peripheral (side) vision will still be normal.

Dry macular degeneration symptoms usually develop gradually and without pain. They may include:

- Visual distortions, such as straight lines seeming bent

- Reduced central vision in one or both eyes

- The need for brighter light when reading or doing close work

- Increased difficulty adapting to low light levels, such as when entering a dimly lit restaurant

- Increased blurriness of printed words

- Decreased intensity or brightness of colors

- Difficulty recognizing faces

Dry macular degeneration usually affects both eyes. If only one eye is affected, you may not notice any changes in your vision because your good eye may compensate for the weak eye. And the condition doesn't affect side (peripheral) vision, so it rarely causes total blindness.

Factors that may increase your risk of macular degeneration include:

Age. This disease is most common in people over 50.

Family history and genetics. This disease has a hereditary component. Researchers have identified several genes that are related to developing the condition.

Race. Macular degeneration is more common in Caucasians.

Smoking. Smoking cigarettes or being regularly exposed to smoke significantly increases your risk of macular degeneration.

Obesity. Research indicates that being obese may increase your chance that early or intermediate macular degeneration will progress to the more severe form of the disease.

Cardiovascular disease. If you have had diseases that affected your heart and blood vessels, you may be at higher risk of macular degeneration.

As of now, there's no treatment for dry macular degeneration. If your condition is diagnosed early, you can take steps to help slow its progression, such as taking vitamin supplements, eating healthy and not smoking.

Follow up with your ophthalmologist routinely to monitor progression of your disease. 

It's important to have routine eye exams to identify early signs of macular degeneration. The following measures may help reduce your risk of developing dry macular degeneration:

Manage your other medical conditions. For example, if you have cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure, take your medication and follow your doctor's instructions for controlling the condition.

Don't smoke. Smokers are more likely to develop macular degeneration than are nonsmokers. Ask your doctor for help to stop smoking.

Maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly. If you need to lose weight, reduce the number of calories you eat and increase the amount of exercise you get each day.

Choose a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Choose a healthy diet that's full of a variety of fruits and vegetables. These foods contain antioxidant vitamins that reduce your risk of developing macular degeneration.

Include fish in your diet. Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish, may reduce the risk of macular degeneration. Nuts, such as walnuts, also contain omega-3 fatty acids.

people with lots of drusenor serious vision loss might benefit from taking a certain combination of nutritional supplements. A large study (AREDS and the later AREDS 2 study) found those people may slow their dry AMD by taking these vitamins and minerals daily:

• Vitamin C (500 mg)
• Vitamin E (400 IU)
• Lutein (10 mg)
• Zeaxanthin (2 mg)
• Zinc (80 mg)
• Copper (2 mg)