MACULAR DEGENERATION

MACULAR DEGENERATION IS THE MAJOR CAUSE OF POOR VISION IN OLDER AMERICANS. EVEN IN ITS WORST FORM IT RARELY CAUSES COMPLETE BLINDNESS. MOST PEOPLE, EVEN WITH SEVERE MACULAR DEGENERATION, CAN STILL WALK WITHOUT BUMPING INTO THINGS, CAN STILL WATCH TELEVISION, AND ENJOY IT AND CAN STILL TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES.

THE FOLLOWING STEPS MAY REDUCE YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING THE SEVERE FORM OF MACULAR DEGENERATION AND IS GOOD ADVICE FOR EVERYONE.

1) STOP SMOKING

2) CONTROL YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE

3) WEAR SUNGLASSES OUTDOORS ON SUNNY DAYS

4) EAT A WELL BALANCED DIET THAT INCLUDES DARK GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES EACH DAY SUCH AS SPINACH OR COLLARD GREENS

ANTI-OXIDANTS FOR PATIENTS AT RISK OF DEVELOPING SEVERE MACULAR DEGENERATION

A SCIENTIFIC STUDY PUBLISHED IN OCTOBER 2001 HAS SUGGESTED THAT LARGE DOSES OF THE FOLLOWING VITAMINS AND MINERALS MAY SLOW DOWN THE PROGRESSION OF MACULAR DEGENERATION IN PATIENTS AT RISK FOR DEVELOPING A SEVERE FORM OF THIS DISEASE

TAKE DAILY:

500 mg VITAMIN C

400 IU VITAMIN E

15 mg BETA CAROTENE (DO NOT TAKE IF YOU SMOKE OR RECENTLY STOPPED SMOKING)

80 mg ZINC OXIDE

2 mg CUPRIC OXIDE (COPPER TO HELP PREVENT THE ANEMIA CAUSED BY ZINC)

PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR INTERNIST BEFORE BEGINNING THE ABOVE REGIMEN. SOME OF THESE VITAMINS AND MINERALS MAY INTERFERE WITH YOUR OTHER MEDICATIONS

THE RISKS OF THESE LARGE DOSES OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: LUNG CANCER, HEMORRHAGIC STROKE, HEART DISEASE, CIRCULATORY PROBLEMS, GENITOURINARY PROBLEMS, INFECTIONS, ANEMIA, SKIN PROBLEMS, YELLOWING OF SKIN, KIDNEY STONES, FATIGUE, MUSCLE WEAKNESS, THYROID PROBLEMS AND UPSET STOMACH

PATIENTS WHO CURRENTLY SMOKE OR RECENTLY STOPPED SMOKING SHOULD NOT TAKE BETA CAROTENE

DIRECTIONS FOR USING THE AMSLER GRID

IF YOU WEAR GLASSES FOR READING, PUT THEM ON FOR THIS EXAMINATION. COVER YOUR LEFT EYE COMPLETELY AND LOOK AT THE CENTRAL BLACK DOT USING ONLY YOUR RIGHT EYE. ONLY LOOK AT THE CENTRAL DOT FOR SEVERAL SECONDS.

DO YOU NOTICE ANY NEW AREAS OF DISTORTION ON THE GRID AS YOU LOOK AT THE CENTRAL DOT? ARE ANY OLD AREAS OF DISTORTION SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED?

NOW COVER YOUR RIGHT EYE COMPLETELY AND LOOK AT THE CENTRAL BLACK DOT. REPEAT THE EXAMINATION USING ONLY YOUR LEFT EYE.

IF YOU NOTICED AREAS OF DISTORTION IN EITHER EYE THAT WERE NOT THERE PREVIOUSLY, OR IF YOU NOTICED SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN AN OLD AREA OF DISTORTION,YOU SHOULD CONTACT YOUR EYE DOCTOR PROMPTLY TO ARRANGE FOR AN EXAMINATION.

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