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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffThe following measures may help you avoid macular degeneration:
- Have routine eye exams. Ask your eye doctor how often you should undergo routine eye exams. A dilated eye exam can identify macular degeneration.
- Manage your other diseases. For example, if you have cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure, take your medication and follow your doctor's instructions for controlling the condition.
- Stop smoking. Smokers are more likely to develop macular degeneration than are nonsmokers. Ask your doctor for help to stop smoking.
- Maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly. If you need to lose weight, reduce the number of calories you eat and increase the amount of exercise you get each day. Maintain a healthy weight by exercising regularly.
- Choose a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Choose a healthy diet that's full of a variety of fruits, vegetables and leafy greens. These foods contain antioxidant vitamins that may reduce your risk of developing dry macular degeneration. Eating kale, spinach, broccoli, peas and other vegetables, which have high levels of antioxidants, including lutein and zeaxanthin, may also reduce the risk of macular degeneration.
- Include fish in your diet. Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish, may reduce the risk of dry macular degeneration. Nuts, such as walnuts, also contain omega-3 fatty acids.
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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