Save Your Sight!
Unfortunately, vision impairment and blindness is on the rise. Fortunately, nearly 80 percent is preventable. Increasing your awareness of eye disease, learning about proper eye care and health, and getting regular eye exams are all very important in saving your sight. While eye conditions can occur at any age, when we turn 60 we are at a greater risk of eye diseases – three in particular: cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. CATARACT A cataract is clouding of the lens, the part of the eye responsible for focusing light and producing clear, sharp images. A cataract is typically caused by metabolic changes within the lens. These changes are very common with age and make images look blurred or fuzzy. It is one of the most common and most treatable eye conditions among seniors.
Cataracts are usually a result of aging and the long-term damage caused by free-radical molecules, but can also be caused by eye injuries, certain medications, diseases such as diabetes and overexposure to ultraviolet rays (from not wearing protective sunglasses).
Clear vision is usually restored with eye surgery that can often be done on an outpatient basis. A With glaucoma, a fluid called aqueous humor doesn't drain properly through channels in the front of the eye. The fluid then builds up, which leads to increased pressure within the eye causing damage to the optic nerve (the part of the eye that carries images we see to the brain).
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People that are at higher risk for glaucoma include those age 40 and older (highest risk for those over 60), people of African or Afro- Caribbean heritage, people who have a family history of the disease and people with nearsightedness or diabetes.
Unfortunately, in the early stages of glaucoma there are no symptoms – no noticeable vision loss or pain. As a result, it is often called the "Sneak Thief of Sight." Regular eye exams are extremely important to diagnose the disease early, when vision loss can usually be prevented.
While there is no cure for glaucoma, it can be treated through eye medications such as prostaglandin analogues, the newest class of glaucoma drug introduced in the United States in 1996, which decrease intraocular pressure in the eye. MACULAR DEGENERATION According to Prevent Blindness America, 1.65 million older Americans have age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD), and the number may double by the year 2030. The exact cause of AMD is unknown, but risk factors for the disease include aging, Caucasian ethnicity and smoking. People with AMD have also been found to be deficient in antioxidants such as vitamin E, zinc and lutein.
Some of the signs of AMD include:
• Loss of central vision (written text can appear blurry).
• Difficulty reading or performing tasks that require the ability to see detail.
• Distorted vision. Straight lines such as telephone poles, the lines in a doorway or the edge of a window appear wavy or bent.
• Dark or empty spots blocking the center of your vision.
According to Prevent Blindness America, 1.65 million older Americans have age-related macular degeneration…
In the most common form of AMD, the "dry" form, the part of the retina called the macula (responsible for visual acuity) becomes thin with age. Vision loss occurs slowly. The first sign of dry AMD is often a dimming of vision while reading. Unfortunately, there is no proven medical therapy for dry AMD; however, antioxidants and zinc supplements can help slow down its advance.
"Wet" AMD is less common, but more threatening to vision. It occurs when tiny blood vessels grow under the retina and then leak or break. This results in distorted vision. Laser therapy that seals leaking or bleeding blood vessels can help in controlling wet AMD, but it doesn't restore lost vision.
A recent study by the National Eye Institute has shown that high-dose supplements of zinc, vitamins C and E and beta-carotene may slow the progression of both forms of AMD.
"This breakthrough gives real hope to people with dry AMD, as prior to these findings, there was really no treatment," says Daniel D. Garrett, spokesperson for Prevent Blindness America.
My Vision Support formula, taken along with Basic Nutrient Support, has all the antioxidants essential to fighting free-radical damage and helping to prevent age-related eye diseases like AMD. Vision Support contains 17 key vitamins, minerals, herbal extracts, food concentrates and other nutrients I recommend to help you save your sight.
