How to Slow Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of vision loss among older Americans. This is a degenerative disease where the center of the retina, AKA the macula, deteriorates. Usually, the first symptom of AMD is blurry central vision, but overall quality of vision worsens with time.

To date, there is no cure for this disease, but there are some treatments and lifestyle adjustments you can adopt to slow the progression of AMD. These are some of your best options for maintaining more of your vision for as long as possible.

Eat Healthy Foods

As you plan your meals, be sure to include many fruits and vegetables, particularly those that contain antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin. Foods like kale, spinach, and berries have these antioxidants, which have been found to delay AMD’s progression.

You should also keep room on your plate for foods rich in zinc and omega-3 fatty acids. Both zinc (found in cheese, whole grains, and meats) and omega-3s (found in fish and some nuts) have been found to significantly slow the worst symptoms of later-stage AMD.

Supplement Your Diet with Vitamins

When your meals do not provide adequate nutrition for your body and eyes, it is appropriate to supplement with vitamins. Speak to your eye doctor about his or her recommendations, which may include some combination of vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, zeaxanthin, and zinc.

Don’t Smoke

Smoking causes deposits to form in the retina, which causes the retina to thicken and can accelerate the damage that AMD inflicts. Smokers are several times more likely to develop AMD than non-smokers.

Start Anti-VEGF Treatments

You naturally produce VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) proteins so that your body can produce new blood vessels. Unfortunately, new blood vessels in the retina are often leaky for patients with wet AMD. Leaky blood vessels worsen this degenerative eye condition.

Anti-VEGF injections are an easy and effective treatment to block the formation of new blood vessels in the retina so that AMD does not progress more quickly than it might otherwise.

Meet with Top Doctors in Melbourne, FL

The eye team at TRES VISION Group has helped many patients with AMD to manage their condition so their vision remains strong. If you have been diagnosed with AMD and live in Brevard County, please schedule an appointment as soon as possible so that we can devise a customized treatment plan. Call (321) 984-3200.