Age related
macular degeneration is a debilitating disease that affects a large chunk of
the world population. It is particularly notorious because there are no
identifiable symptoms as such and you only realize later on that you are
affected by the disease but by then it is already too late. However there are a
certain amount of steps that one can take to prevent the onset of age related
macular degeneration. You should be especially diligent about taking steps to
prevent macular degeneration if there is a history of age related macular
degeneration in your family.
Since AMD only
affects people over the age of 40, it is imperative that you start taking these
preventive measures early on, to successfully prevent the onset of AMD. Some of
the steps one should take to prevent the onset of age related macular
degeneration are:
1)
Stop Smoking: This is the number one way
to prevent AMD since it is estimated that smokers are up to 4 times more likely
to develop AMD than non-smokers. This should be reason enough for most of us to
stop smoking or risk going blind during our later years.
2)
Eat a Lot of Greens: Eating dark leafy
vegetables regularly may help in preventing the onset of age related macular
degeneration. A study published by the Massachusetts Eye and Ear infirmary
reported that people who consumed the most vegetables rich in carotenoids had a
43 percent lower risk of age related macular degeneration than those who ate
these foods the least. Preferable vegetables include dark leafy greens like raw
spinach, kale and collard greens. A high intake of spinach and collard greens
was associated with a substantially lower risk of AMD.
3)
Take Multivitamins/Multiminerals: Taking
vitamins and minerals from a trusted source is a good idea for overall health including
that of your eyes. Especially if it’s an older person, it becomes difficult to
procure all the required nutrients from the diet alone.
4)
AMD Dietary Supplements: There are a few
AMD dietary supplements that prevent the onset of AMD, provided they are taken
properly and regularly. Among the AMD dietary supplements, the AREDS1 is an
antioxidant vitamin formula that really works well. The results of AREDS1
published in 2001 revealed patients at high risk of progressive AMD who took
the dietary supplements has up to a 25 percent reduced risk of their macular
degeneration advancing any further. However, the supplements didn’t show any
improvement among patients who had either no age related macular degeneration
or only early AMD.
All
of the above mentioned methods are bona fide preventive measures for AMD
especially the AMD dietary supplements.
These supplements have shown clear signs of feasibility among patients
suffering from a certain stage of AMD.
