Macular degeneration affects part of the retina at the back of your eye. This is the area of the retina responsible for central vision, fine details and colour vision.
Macular degeneration develops when the cells become damaged and don’t work as well as they should.
The main causes of these changes are 1. Smoking
2. UV and blue light exposure
3. Genetics
4. Diet
5. Age, being over 50
6. Gender- mainly female
There isn’t much you can do about 3, 5 & 6! But the rest can be changed with a few lifestyle changes, stop smoking or at least cut down, wear good sun specs with a UV filters in sunlight and have a good blue light blocking filter added to your prescription specs. Eat a healthy diet with plenty of vegetables of all colours and omega 3. Try to cut down on highly processed foods.
It is also very important to have regular eye tests, where macular degeneration can be detected early, before it affects your vision. At Wilkies Eyecare we can give more help and advice.