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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffChanging your diet to include more fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods may help prevent vision loss if you've been diagnosed with macular degeneration. Try to:
- Include a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in your diet. The antioxidant vitamins in fruits and vegetables contribute to eye health. Eating a variety of colors ensures that you're getting a variety of vitamins. Eating kale, spinach, broccoli, peas and other vegetables, which have high levels of antioxidants, including lutein and zeaxanthin, may also benefit people with macular degeneration.
- Choose healthy fats. Healthy unsaturated fats, such as the fats found in olive oil, may help protect your vision. Choose these healthy fats over saturated fats, such as butter and trans fats, and partially hydrogenated oils found in packaged foods.
- Choose whole grains over refined grains. Choose whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread, over refined grains, such as white bread.
- Add fish to your diet. Fish, such as salmon, sardines and tuna, contain omega-3 fatty acids that may help reduce the risk of vision loss related to macular degeneration. Omega-3 fatty acids also can be found in supplements and nuts, such as walnuts.
References
- Facts about age-related macular degeneration. National Eye Institute. http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/maculardegen/armd_facts.asp. Accessed Aug. 29, 2012.
- What is age-related macular degeneration? American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amd.cfm. Accessed Aug. 29, 2012.
- Arroyo JG. Age-related macular degeneration: Epidemiology, etiology, and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Aug. 29, 2012.
- Macular degeneration symptoms. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amd-symptoms.cfm. Accessed Aug. 29, 2012.
- Who is at risk for macular degeneration? American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amd-risk.cfm. Accessed Aug. 29, 2012.
- Arroyo JG. Age-related macular degeneration: Treatment and prevention. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Aug. 29, 2012.
- Macular degeneration diagnosis. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amd-diagnosis.cfm. Accessed Aug. 29, 2012.
- Macular degeneration treatment. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amd-treatment.cfm. Accessed Aug. 29, 2012.
- Primo SA. Implantable miniature telescope: Lessons learned. Optometry. 2010;81:86.
- Evans JR, et al. Antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplements for preventing age-related macular degeneration. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2012;6:CD000253. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD000253.pub3/abstract. Accessed Aug. 29, 2012.
- Johnson EJ. Age-related macular degeneration and antioxidant vitamins: Recent findings. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. 2010;13:28.
- Macular degeneration and low vision. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amd-low-vision.cfm. Accessed Aug. 29, 2012.
- Chiu CJ, et al. Dietary carbohydrate and the progression of age-related macular degeneration: A prospective study from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007;86:1210.
- Low vision aids and low vision rehabilitation. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/low-vision-aids-rehabilitation.cfm. Accessed Sept. 4, 2012.
- Chong EWT, et al. Fat consumption and its association with age-related macular degeneration. Archives of Ophthalmology. 2009;127:674.
- Robertson DM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 2, 2012.
- Hughes DF. Charles Bonnet syndrome: A literature review into diagnostic criteria, treatment and implications for nursing practice. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. In Press. Accessed Aug. 29, 2012.
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