While our main topic is Macular Degeneration Symptoms, let us start with an overview of the condition.The most common type of macular degeneration is related to age. It is a progressive disease in the retina of the eye that causes the cells in the central part of the vision that sense light to stop working.
This central area of the vision is called the macula; hence the term macular degeneration since that is the area that eventually dies. Macular degeneration does not affect the side, or peripheral vision.
Macular degeneration is caused by genetics and environmental conditions and is frequently found in people who are over age sixty. Macular degeneration is the most common cause of vision impairment in that age group, affecting over fifteen million people in America with close to two million new cases per year.
Symptoms of Macular Degeneration
While Macular Degeneration symptoms occur gradually with the condition, there are things that a person should be aware of. The need for very bright light when doing close work is one sign, along with having difficulty adjusting to dim lighting such as when entering a low-light restaurant.
If words suddenly seem blurry and colors seem dull and not as bright then macular degeneration can be starting. Difficulty recognizing people is another sign. The vision becoming increasingly hazy and a blind spot in the center of the vision should indicate the need to seek medical attention and testing for macular degeneration, especially if the person is over age 50.
Dry Macular Degeneration
Though the macula is just a small area of the eye, it is responsible for the ability to see small details, such as reading fine print and seeing street signs while driving. Dry macular degeneration can cause blurry vision because the area of the macula is blocked by deposits of materials called Drusen. There can be damage to the layer of pigment under the retina.
Dry macular degeneration symptoms progresses slowly and while the loss of vision that is not too severe it does cause a blind spot in the center of the vision. All Macular Degeneration starts as the dry type. This is the most common type of macular degeneration.
Wet Macular Degeneration
The wet type of macular degeneration, however, can affect 10 to 15 percent of people who have the dry type. This is when abnormal blood vessels form under the macula and leaks fluid and/or blood and causes swelling. When the vision is lost due to wet macular degeneration, it is more severe and rapid, and almost always happens in both eyes, yet one eye can have it years ahead of the other. A person can have one eye with the wet type and one eye with the dry type.
Risk Factors
Macular degeneration symptoms are usually associated with age or heredity. But, it also affects more Caucasians than any other ethnic group, especially after age 75. 
More women develop the condition than men. The juvenile type of Macular Degeneration is the hereditary condition called Stargardt’s disease.
Certain activities will contribute to the development of macular degeneration symptoms, such as smoking, being obese and having a poor diet. High blood pressure and elevated cholesterol also contribute to developing problems with the eye.
Lifestyle Changes
Making a few changes in their lifestyle can ward off macular degeneration symptoms and slow down its progression. One way is to eat healthy, natural, colorful foods. Eat different types of fresh vegetables and fruits every day, and eating kale every day is good for the health of the eyes. Make it a habit of eating fresh foods, not canned, dried or frozen foods. The antioxidants that are found in richly colored foods are good for eye health, and eating different colored foods results in getting a variety of vitamins.
Eat healthy fats such as those found in salmon, tuna, sardines and olive oil. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, and may help ward off vision loss. Omega-3 is also found in healthy nuts, like walnuts. Limit refined grains such as white bread, and eat whole grains found in whole wheat breads and brown rice.
Plenty of exercise is always healthful to the body, as is drinking water and limiting alcohol. Take the appropriate measures to manage high blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels.A routine eye examination by an eye doctor is important because when the pupils are dilated the doctor can spot macular degeneration.
Caution should be used when driving, especially at night and in bad weather, as the center vision is affected. A physician can determine if the vision is safe for driving. Using bright light around the home can help with vision when reading or performing close-work activities.
Supplements
Nutrients and plenty of fresh water provide supplemental benefits to the eyes and retard the macular degeneration symptoms. Vitamin A helps the mucous membranes of the eye, and is important to the formation of the pigment necessary for night vision.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin are used in place of Vitamin A because of many risk factors that Vitamin A poses to smokers. Other vitamins like C and E, minerals like Zinc, Copper and Selenium and Omega-3 fatty Acids are absolutely necessary for a Macular Degeneration cure. Lecithin helps with the cholesterol build up which is a cause of Macular Degeneration.
The herb eyebright has been used for years to benefit vision. Antioxidants retard the progression of cataracts and macular degeneration. Getting the proper supplements will increase eye strength and stability when macular degeneration symptoms begin.
Macular Degeneration Cure
Visual Field Tests are performed on each patient to better understand the patient’s vision limitations. The printed pattern identifies the areas affected by Macular Degeneration.
Dark colors represent seriously limited vision, yellow being the highest, represent clear vision.
The above visual field test represents the positive progression after only two weeks of Micro Acupuncture therapy.
At Three Treasures Clinic we treat the whole being with dietary supplementation and we treat particularly the eyes with Micro Acupuncture.