(www.PreserveMacForte.com) Close to 15 million Americans who have exceeded the half century mark have age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye ailment that adversely impacts central vision, reported 12WBoy.com recently.
The article — which cited a doctor who commented on the disease and on the possibility of treatments in the future — noted that the condition can ultimately make it difficult for sufferers to do everyday things. These include watching television, driving vehicles, reading books and even recognizing the faces of people they know.
According to the article, AMD progressively injures the macula, the portion of the eye that is responsible for central vision. As the disease progresses, sufferers often find that their center of vision is quite blurry.
Dr. Muge Kesen, WVU ophthalmologist, said in the article that people who, while reading, experience symptoms such as wavy lines or missing words on the page might have AMD. Getting tested by an eye care specialist is the only way to find out for sure.
The article noted that AMD has a dry form and a wet form. Dry AMD is the most common of the two and can cause distorted vision. Wet AMD, while not as common, is the more serious of the two and can lead to untreatable central vision loss.
People with a family history that includes AMD, people who smoke and people who are White face higher AMD risks than people who are none of the above. Age-related macular degeneration cannot be cured, but there are a number of things people can do either to void getting the disease or to at least slow down its progression. Previous reports have noted that people can lower their AMD risks by eating lots of produce, consuming plenty of fish with omega-3 fatty acids, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding high blood pressure, keeping their cholesterol level down and exercising regularly.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kesen said in the article that over the coming year there will likely be some sort of breakthrough as per AMD treatment. He explained that there are lots of research projects in progress and that developments on the treatments front could materialize sooner rather than later.