Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
LIVING WITH LOW VISION
Age-related eye issues are real. Here’s how to manage them.
If your eye doctor has just told you that you have age-related macular degeneration (AMD), you’re not alone. AMD affects 2.1 million Americans over the age of 50. The good news is that treatments for the low-vision condition are continuing to improve. “AMD is a very treatable condition,” says Rishi Singh, M.D., a retinal specialist and staff surgeon at the Cole Eye Institute at Cleveland Clinic.
To better understand what it’s like to live with low vision, it helps to know that the eye disease affects the macula, the part of the retina that’s in charge of the central vision you need to read or drive. The condition typically develops slowly and can occur in one eye or in both. It ultimately leads to blurry vision but won’t progress to blindness or cause issues with your peripheral (side) sight.
AMD may run in families and is divided into two types: dry and wet, which is the more serious form. One of the toughest things about AMD is that initially it can be asymptomatic, Singh says. It’s only detectable—early on—via a comprehensive dilated eye exam where your ophthalmologist or optometrist will dilate your pupils. A noninvasive optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan may be recommended so your doctor can see the back of your eye.
No matter which form of AMD you have, as the disease progresses from dry to wet, you might experience the same symptoms, including blurring, vision distortion, waviness and overall vision changes.
Eye-Friendly Lifestyle Changes
One of the most important things to do if you’ve been diagnosed with AMD and you smoke is to quit immediately, Singh says.
Next, to help reduce the progression of the disease over time, amp up your intake of leafy green vegetables, and eat oily fish, such as salmon or sardines, once a week. (Any fish that is rich in omega-3s will do.) Getting regular exercise and maintaining healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels will help too.
And while there has been a lot of focus on blue-lightblocking glasses, which filter the light your electronic devices emit, they won’t help your vision if you have AMD, Singh says. “What helps is to increase the contrast on your device or the projection of the light on any screen you’re using.”
It also may help to bump up your glasses prescription. Wearing glasses with prescription lenses that have a higher power or even using a magnifier can also work wonders to help people with low vision see better, Singh says.
Treatment Options
Dry AMD can be treated with an over-the-counter dietary supplement called AREDS (Age-Related Eye Disease Study) vitamins, a single pill made up of good-for-your-eyes vitamins C and E, zinc, copper, lutein and zeaxanthin, which may keep your low vision from progressing.
“We’re waiting on even more treatments for dry AMD,” Singh says. “There are a lot of drugs in trials right now, so there’s lots to be excited about when we think of how to treat it in the future.”
Wet AMD may require more aggressive treatment. You might visit your eye doctor as frequently as monthly for eye injections of medications that work to improve vision, Singh says.
“Depending on the patient, you may be able to see up to two to three more lines on an eye chart after an injection,” Singh says. The improvement in vision usually lasts for as long as you keep doing your injections. “These injections will be part of your life forever,” he says, “but you’ll be able to see so much better after your treatments.”