One of the most annoying things about growing older is that the body starts to wear out. Knees and hips have to be replaced. Hearing aids and prescription glasses become necessary accessories. Sometimes seniors have vision problems eyeglasses won't fix. The macular degeneration Washington DC senior suffer is one of them. Also referred to as ARMD, this condition involves the area of retinas that affect the sharpness of a person's vision. When it degenerates, reading, driving, watching television, and working on a computer are no longer options.
There are two types of ARMD, the dry and the wet. The dry form of the disease affects about ninety percent of sufferers. This is the disease in its early stage. Wet ARMD is much more serious and can lead to virtual blindness. With dry ARMD the loss of eyesight is normally gradual. In some cases it will degenerate over time into geographic atrophy. When that happens the loss of eyesight is severe. Signs that there is a problem include shadowy areas, distortions, and fuzziness in the individual's line of sight.
Losing your eyesight is scary, and people want to know what causes it, and if there are ways to avoid the condition. Experts say the most common cause is age, but there are other risk factors as well. These include being female, Caucasian, overweight, and a smoker. It also appears to run in families.
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.
Two other factors, and ones you can't do anything about, are heredity and eye color. Twins often share this disease. The lighter the color of your eyes, the more likely you are to develop ARMD. People with darker eye coloring have extra pigment that some researchers believe helps protect them from sun exposure. So far the evidence is inconclusive on this theory.
There are drugs thought to cause ARMD as a side effect. Anti-malarial drugs are among them. Thorazine, which is an anti-psychotic drug, is also included. Doctors also prescribe thorazine for vomiting, nausea, and excessive hiccuping. The risk associated with heredity and drugs is not as well understood as the risks posed by aging and smoking.
Macular degeneration is not curable at the present time. The most effective treatments only slow the disease's progression and help prevent sufferers from developing the more severe wet form. There is growing evidence certain diets can help prevent ARMD or slow the progression at least.
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.
There are two types of ARMD, the dry and the wet. The dry form of the disease affects about ninety percent of sufferers. This is the disease in its early stage. Wet ARMD is much more serious and can lead to virtual blindness. With dry ARMD the loss of eyesight is normally gradual. In some cases it will degenerate over time into geographic atrophy. When that happens the loss of eyesight is severe. Signs that there is a problem include shadowy areas, distortions, and fuzziness in the individual's line of sight.
Losing your eyesight is scary, and people want to know what causes it, and if there are ways to avoid the condition. Experts say the most common cause is age, but there are other risk factors as well. These include being female, Caucasian, overweight, and a smoker. It also appears to run in families.
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.
Two other factors, and ones you can't do anything about, are heredity and eye color. Twins often share this disease. The lighter the color of your eyes, the more likely you are to develop ARMD. People with darker eye coloring have extra pigment that some researchers believe helps protect them from sun exposure. So far the evidence is inconclusive on this theory.
There are drugs thought to cause ARMD as a side effect. Anti-malarial drugs are among them. Thorazine, which is an anti-psychotic drug, is also included. Doctors also prescribe thorazine for vomiting, nausea, and excessive hiccuping. The risk associated with heredity and drugs is not as well understood as the risks posed by aging and smoking.
Macular degeneration is not curable at the present time. The most effective treatments only slow the disease's progression and help prevent sufferers from developing the more severe wet form. There is growing evidence certain diets can help prevent ARMD or slow the progression at least.
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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