If you have macular degeneration, it may seem as though your eyes are playing tricks on you. Door frames, telephone poles, and the edges of buildings appear bent or wavy. Other objects seem to change in color or size when you look at them with one eye closed, then the other. And you may notice a blurry blank spot in the middle of your field of vision, as though someone erased part of the scenery.
At the back of each of yor eyes is a light-sensitive, nerve-rich area called the retina. The retina translates light into vision images, which then travel to your brain via the optic nerve. At the center of the retina is the macula, a tiny but supersensitive area that enables you to see color and fine detail.
If the macula deteriortes, as it does in macular degeneration, objects at the center of your field of vision appear wavy and change from color to black and white. As the condition advances, you begin viewing the world from the corners of your eyes rather than straight ahead.
CAUSES
Oxidative damage, the same process that leads to the formation of cataracts. Oxidative damage occurs as highly unstable oxygen ions, called free radicals, circulate in your blood and find their way into every bodily tissue. Just as oxygen rusts iron, the oxygen ions harm healthy cells. When the affected cells are located in the macula, macular degeneration results.
Some free radicals form naturally as a by-product of various bodily functions, explains Alan P. Brauer, M.D. But certain lifestyle factors—especially eating a high-fat diet and smoking—greatly increases a number of free radicals floating around inside your body.
In its earliest stage, macular degeneration produces no symptoms. But changes in the macula can be detected during an eye exam. That's why everyone over age 50 should schedule a professional exam—especially people who haven't been to an eye doctor for a few years.
Macular degeneration doesn't always develop in the same way. In fact, the condition takes two distinct forms: dry and wet. The dry form is much more common, accounting for 80 to 90 percent of all cases. The wet form is much more severe. In dry macular degeneration, the macula becomes thin and peppered with yellow spots called drusen. This happens quite slowly and painlessly. But over time, it can seriously affect your central vision.
By comparison, wet macular degeneration can destroy central vision very quickly. The form occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow underneath the retina and displace the macula, much like tree roots buckling a sidewalk. The blood vessels often leak, leading to the formation of scar tissue. The scar tissue is what alters your eyesight.
No matter which type of macular degeneration you have, you need to be under the care of an ophthalmologist. The treatment should focus on preventing the condition from getting worse. For the wet form, this most likely means surgery. For the dry form, alternative therapies show the most promise.
FOODS TO SET YOUR SIGHTS ON
lutein and zeaxanthin belong to the vitamin A family of nutrients, th"e carotenoids. They are particularly effective in protecting the macula from free-radical damage. Both compounds discourage the cellular changes that lead to macular degeneration.
To get more lutein and zeaxanthin in your diet, be sure to eat plenty of the following foods. The figures in parentheses indicate the total amount of both nutrients per 3.5-ounce serving.
- Kale (21,900 mcg)
- Spinach, cooked (12,600 mcg)
- Spinach, raw (10,200 mcg)
- Mustard greens (9,900 mcg)
- Celery (3,600 mcg)
- Broccoli, cooked (1,900 mcg)
- Leaf lettuce (1,800 mcg)
- Peas (1,700 mcg)