What is Macular Degeneration?
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in people over 55. The macula on the inside back wall of your eye is only about the size of a pin head. It may not be very big, but without a healthy macula in your eye, you would have difficulty reading, driving a car, recognizing faces and colors, and seeing fine details -- things that each of us do daily to function independently. The greatest risk factor for macular degeneration is just being over the age of 55. Others are heredity, diabetes, nutritional deficiencies, smoking, and prolonged exposure to sunlight.
At Sunshine Eye Clinic, our goal is to begin treating macular degeneration early -- even before you become aware of the symptoms. We can often delay or reduce the severity of this disease, starting with a thorough eye exam that includes ophthalmoscopy to detect early problems in the retina.
Modern medicine can't cure this disease yet, but we have learned a lot about how to protect your vision. When you come in, or maybe accompany an older relative in for an eye exam, we'll give you a summary of nutritional foods and vitamins and other health tips that can help. It's also important for people with macular degeneration to protect their eyes from light in the UV and blue parts of the spectrum. At Sunshine Eye Clinic, you can choose from a large selection of protective sunglasses.
We also offer a unique selection of low vision aids that can help to minimize the impact of this disease on your lifestyle, or that of an aging parent. From telescopic aids to pocket magnifiers to closed circuit enlargers, we'll help you make the most of your vision because we specialize in macular degeneration and low vision care.
