AMD is the leading cause of blindness amongst those aged 65 and above in developed nations. Currently, there are an approximate 200 million patients getting treatment for the wet type of AMD world wide. With the ageing population, the number of patients affected by this disease is expected to double by 2050. AMD can cause distortion and loss of clarity of central vision and this may affect function of daily activities such as reading text on the computer, phone, or newspaper; driving; and watching television.
To recap from our last blog:
1. AMD can range in severity- from early stages to advanced stages, which is usually known as the Wet or Dry forms
2. There are treatments for the wet forms in terms of antivegf injections. More recently, the Dry or atrophic forms have newly approved treatments.
3. People with a family history of AMD are at greater risk of AMD.
4. Smoking, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure are known risk factors for AMD.
Simple Daily Measures to prevent Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
If you have a family history of AMD or have signs of early AMD, such as drusen, or simply belonging to the elderly group population (> age 65),
Follow the simple steps to ensure you get early treatment if required and/ or possibly delay or retard the onset of more advanced stages of AMD.
1) Get an annual eye check up with your eye doctor
2) Amsler grid monitoring (at least twice a week) – monitor for worsening distortion of either eye
