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Macular
Degeneration
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Macular Degeneration -13 Ways
to Help in the Prevention of Macular Degeneration
by Michael P. Lange O.D. Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of central vision loss over the age of 55 in the United States. 1 in 6 Americans between the age 55-64 will be affected while 1 in 4 between 64-74 will be affected and 1-3 over the age of 75 will be affected. With our population living longer and longer it is estimated that over 3 million people by 2020 will have age related Macular Degeneration. All of us will know someone that has lost their central vision and became vision impaired because of the disease. Macular Degeneration is a medical condition that causes degeneration of the central part of the retina called the macula. The two basic types of age related Macular Degeneration are Dry ARMD (non-neovascular) and Wet ARMD (neovascular). The dry form of Macular Degeneration is the most common type with the largest percent around 85%-90% having the dry form. The wet form of Macular Degeneration is the most visually devastating and can occur very rapidly. The dry form of ARMD can slowly cause serious distortion or loss of central vision and can turn into the wet form of ARMD. Some people may have an increased risk of developing Macular Degeneration because of their genetic makeup. However most cases of Macular Degeneration are probably related to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Ongoing research in the area of Macular Degeneration looks very promising. The future therapies Optometrists and Ophthalmologists may have at their fingertips to help patients with Macular Degeneration are very exciting. These new therapies may halt or even cure forms of Macular Degeneration. We may even be able to return functional vision to many of these patients. Currently there are no FDA approved surgical or medical treatments for the Dry form of Macular Degeneration. However nutritional therapy and lifestyle changes has proven to be extremely valuable at helping to prevent the dry form of Macular Degeneration from progressing to more advanced stages. I have personally been helping 1000s of patients with Macular Degeneration in clinical practice for over 15 years. I have seen the positive benefits patients can realistically obtain thru nutritional therapy and life style changes. Many patients have been referred to our centers in Florida (Lange Eye Care and Associates, Lange Eye Institute) for low vision rehabilitation with almost no hope and have decreased their dependence on low vision devices thru proper nutritional guidance and life style adjustments. All of the Doctors at the Lange Eye Care and Associates locations and The Lange Eye Institute in central and north central Florida have extensively used proper diet, nutrition and lifestyle changes to benefit the patient with Macular Degeneration. We have seen some incredible improvements in vision as well as overall health in these patients. It is a normal part of our comprehensive examination to discuss and educate these options with each patient. I will go over a list of things that we discuss with our patients that have any form of Macular Degeneration. This lists was comprised based on solid scientific evidence that is in the literature and from positive results we have seen clinically in a very large Macular Degeneration practice.
1. Low fat diet
(decrease saturated fats and trans fatty acids) eat more
chicken, turkey, cold water fish and soy products
like garden burgers, and tofu. Eat less red meat, whole milk
and cheese. Eat the breast meat of chicken and turkey
from free roaming organically raised (if possible),
avoid deep frying and
cook by broiling, grilling, boiling or baking. Be careful when eating fish
because many large fish have toxic levels of mercury,
lead and PCBs. Eat
small fish like sardines, anchovies and herring. Try to avoid
farm raised fish and eat wild fish especially wild Alaskan
salmon.
2. Eat more
dark green leafy vegetables (preferably organically grown), gently
steam, boil or simmer in olive oil
(gently cooking helps to break down the cell wall releasing the
bioavailability of the greens. Juicing is also
a good way of getting these nutrients. Lutein is abundant in
dark green leafy vegetables and has been
shown to potentially help slow down the devastating properties of Macular
Degeneration. If you are taking
a blood thinner like Coumadin consult with your physician prior to
consuming more dark green leafy
vegetables.
3. Eat more
orange bell peppers (preferably organically grown), gently cooked or
raw. Orange bell peppers are very
high in Zeaxanthin. Scientists believe this nutrient when
combined with Lutein helps filter out dangerous
HEV light (blue light) and may help maintain macular health.
Sauté orange peppers and spinach
together for good macular health.
4. Consume
more darkly pigmented berries (preferably organically grown).
Studies may indicate that eating more dark berries like blueberries
and black berries may help preserve macular functioning.
If you are a diabetic consult with your
physician prior to eating more fruits.
5. Increase intake
of omega three fatty acids by taking micro distilled fish oil.
Do to the large amount of contaminants in fish, micro or molecularly
distilled fish oil may be a better option to eating the fish.
6. Decrease
intake of salt (Na), new studies may indicate that decreasing salt
intake may decrease drusen in macular
degeneration.
7. Wear Blue
Blocking sunglasses especially if you have had cataract surgery.
There is some strong science that
indicates blocking the high energy visible spectrum (400nm-500nm),
The Blue Light, may help prevent damage
to the macular. Yellow, Amber and Orange colored lenses are
good at blocking the blue
light. Wear them anytime you are out doors and it is daylight.
I recommend polarized blue blockers while
in the sun. Non polarized while indoors or on cloudy and overcast
days.
8. NO
SMOKING, if you do smoke try to quit. Smoking lowers your
serum antioxidant levels in your blood and
thus causes a nutritional deficiency at the cellular level.
Second hand smoke is just as bad. Smokers increase their risk
dramatically of developing more advanced stages of Macular Degeneration. If
you smoke do not take high levels of supplemental beta carotene.
9. Cardiovascular
exercise 20-30 minutes 5 times a week (discuss with physician
first). Studies indicate that patients that did cardiovascular
exercise (treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical, walking ,
jogging, swimming etc..) were less
likely to develop Macular Degeneration.
10. If you
are overweight, LOOSE WEIGHT!! Overweight people are twice as
likely to develop Macular Degeneration.
11. Control
systemic health problems like; High Blood pressure, Diabetes and
elevated Cholesterol.
12. New body
of science may indicate that drinking Red wine in moderation, green
tea, more soy products and eating curry
may have some positive impact on Macular Degeneration, cataracts and
inflammatory diseases in the eye.
13. Take a
good nutritional supplement based on the latest scientific
data. Preferably one that does not have
any artificial dyes and synthetic nutrients. Be careful of
supplements that have only "window dressing"
amounts of specific nutrients. Many vitamin companies will add tiny
amounts of popular nutrients to be able
to put it on the label. These small amounts may have no nutritional
value. Patients must also be
extremely careful not to take too many supplements as well.
Vitamins can build up toxic levels
especially the fat soluble forms. The company that has taken
all of the current science into consideration
in the development of their vitamins is Fortifeye Vitamins.
Fortifeye Vitamins are all natural with
no dyes. Therapeutic levels of nutrients and no window
dressing. Fortifeye Vitamins mission
is to promote proper vision and whole body health with the right
ingredients at the right levels. I
recommend to all of my patients the Fortifeye Complete which
is a combination of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients,
enzymes, whole foods and omega three essential fatty acids
designed to lay a strong foundation
for eye and total body health.. If the patient has Macular
Degeneration then add one pill from the
Fortifeye Macular Defense to the Fortifeye Complete. This is a
nutritional system when the two are combined
to help prevent any further vision loss from Macular Degeneration.
I have seen many patients in my clinical practice improve, some
dramatically while taking these
supplements. Many doctors throughout the country are now
recommending Fortifeye Complete and Fortifeye Macular Defense to
their patients with Macular Degeneration. Fortifeye will stay
abreast of the most current science in regards to nutritional
supplementation for the eye and body. Fortifeye vitamins
for Macular Degeneration and total body health are constantly
evolving.
So you can see it is a
rather lengthy and detailed approach to help these patients with Macular
Degeneration. If patients would only do these 13
things religiously I feel we would see much less vision loss from Macular
Degeneration and have a much healthier society! Remember there is no miracle cure for macular degeneration.
However if you implement the 13 steps I outlined you will
decrease your risk of going blind from Macular Degeneration. I
see the benefits patients receive daily in clinical practice.
Michael P. Lange, O.D. April 6, 2007 |
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Copyright © 2000 Lange Eye
Care and Associates |