Natural Treatment For Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration, which occurs as the result of macular nerve deterioration in your retina, results in blurry central vision that makes straight lines appear wavy. Macular degeneration does not impact side vision or peripheral vision in any way; even advanced cases still retain some useful vision that allows them to care for themselves independently.

Antioxidants

Biochemically produced free radicals are highly reactive molecules that can damage cells and lead to a range of diseases. Antioxidants, naturally occurring substances found in foods and supplements alike, work by either donating electrons or blocking their path of attack – protecting both the cell itself and its structures from damage. They are plentifully found in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts seeds and beans – but also available through vitamin C, E carotenoids lutein/zeaxanthin/zinc selenium/lycopene flavonoids phytochemicals/omega-3 fatty acid intake.

Diet is one of the key ways to prevent macular degeneration and other eye conditions, according to National Eye Institute’s Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). A combination of vitamin C, E, beta carotene, zinc and the minerals lutein and zeaxanthin have been found to lower risk by 25% for progression to advanced macular degeneration.

There is no known cure for dry macular degeneration; however, diets high in vegetables and fruits, particularly dark leafy greens and yellow, orange and red fruits and vegetables can lower its risk. Wet macular degeneration – the more severe form – can be treated through injection of medications to constrict unhealthy blood vessels and stop leakage as well as laser surgery that uses light beams to close abnormal vessels.

Antioxidants found in plants such as Ginkgo biloba have been demonstrated to protect against eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration by strengthening eye blood vessels, improving circulation and reducing inflammation while inhibiting oxidative stress in retina. Ginkgo biloba may even help slow macular degeneration by increasing blood flow to the eye and decreasing inflammation levels.

Vitamins

Many diseases that lead to vision loss may be prevented or treated using specific vitamins, such as vitamin C and E antioxidants, carotenoids, fatty acids and zinc – many of which can be found both naturally in diet and as supplements. Furthermore, research conducted by the National Eye Institute’s Age Related Macular Degeneration Studies or AREDS shows that using a specific nutrient formula significantly lowers the risk of progression from dry macular degeneration (DMD) into advanced AMD.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness among older people, can be prevented with certain antioxidant vitamins and minerals and foods by following UC’s researchers’ advice. Every three minutes someone new is diagnosed with AMD. But experts at UC have reported that taking certain antioxidant supplements or eating certain kinds of foods could protect against AMD.

The University of Cincinnati team discovered that individuals at high risk for wet macular degeneration (AMD that causes abnormal blood vessels to proliferate and leak) can preserve their vision by taking a combination of vitamins C, E, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin plus omega-3 fatty acids – all commonly found in diets including fruits vegetables and fish.

The team also recommended taking daily supplements of zinc, along with the helper molecule retinol that converts to vitamin A in the retina of each eye. Retinol works to delay damage caused by oxygen and sunlight on the retina – one major cause of wet AMD that can be stopped with injections to block growth of unhealthy blood vessels or laser surgery to seal abnormal vessels that leak fluid; though neither option restores vision lost from AMD already; they serve to prevent or slow further progression of wet AMD.

Minerals

Macular degeneration affects millions of people worldwide. Studies have revealed that certain vitamins and minerals may lower your risk of macular degeneration; eating foods rich in these nutrients is essential to protecting both eyes and vision; these include lutein and zeaxanthin found in dark leafy green vegetables; omega 3 fatty acids available from fish; vitamin C; zinc; folate. Furthermore, regular dilated eye exams provide another important preventative measure against macular degeneration.

Minerals are naturally-occurring substances with a distinct chemical composition and crystal structure, found naturally throughout nature. Minerals may exist as pure elements or can form from other minerals or natural compounds. Most minerals exist as solids while some forms may exist as liquids. They can form via inorganic processes while some, like Calcite (CaCO3) found both within veins and as the shell of many life forms, fall under both categories.

Physical properties such as color, streak, luster, cleavage and specific gravity can help identify a mineral. Other features are hardness, how it breaks and which other minerals scratch or mark it. A mineral’s crystal structures determine its shape – for instance salt crystals have square shapes caused by how sodium and chlorine atoms arrange themselves within them forming patterns which form square structures in their crystal structures.

Mineraloids are a group of substances that don’t strictly meet the definition of minerals. Mercury, for instance, doesn’t qualify as a true mineral since it is liquid; similarly opal lacks both an exact crystal structure and chemical formula – however both substances are generally classified as minerals by most reference books.

Foods

Studies have established a correlation between diet and macular degeneration. Flavonoids and carotenoids found in fruits, vegetables and seeds may help slow its onset. Leafy green vegetables contain high concentrations of vitamin C as well as the antioxidant nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin which filter harmful blue wavelengths of light out before reaching the retina; studies suggest consuming foods rich in these vitamins can decrease vision loss by up to 25%.

Macular degeneration occurs when the central part of the retina known as the macula begins to deteriorate, limiting reading, driving and seeing details clearly, as well as making straight lines appear wavy. Although not usually associated with complete blindness, macular degeneration typically affects only one eye initially and generally doesn’t interfere with side or peripheral vision.

Natural treatments for dry macular degeneration include eating a nutritious and balanced diet, scheduling regular eye exams and using low vision aids when necessary. People suffering from wet macular degeneration may benefit from new injected medication to reduce unhealthy blood vessels and slow leakage; laser surgery also uses injections of medications into abnormally located blood vessels to stop fluid leakage.

To reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration, eating an abundance of fruits and vegetables – particularly dark greens such as spinach, kale and collards. Orange and yellow veggies such as carrots, squash and sweet potatoes contain carotenoids which may help protect against AMD as well as other eye diseases. In addition, eggs provide essential vitamin A which plays an essential role in retina health and function.

Supplements

Macular degeneration is an eye disease that can lead to vision loss. The condition usually starts with small yellow deposits called drusen under the retina. Over time, these drusen cause macula thickness to diminish. Over time it becomes harder for individuals to read, drive or recognize faces due to straight lines appearing wavy or blurry; peripheral vision however remains unchanged.

Recent evidence suggests that certain antioxidant vitamins and minerals may help slow macular degeneration’s progression. A large clinical trial conducted on people with advanced macular degeneration provided them with nutritional supplements containing vitamin C, E, beta carotene, zinc as these had shown to significantly reduce risk by 25% while at the same time slowing progression rate among those with early macular degeneration.

Study findings indicate that substituting lutein and zeaxanthin for beta-carotene in nutritional supplements significantly enhanced its efficacy. These two nutrients can be found in dark green leafy vegetables as well as yellow, orange and brown fruits and vegetables; additionally they are available as supplements alongside omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil or walnuts.

Consume more fruit and vegetables rich in vitamin A, such as sweet peppers, cantaloupe and carrots; these foods also provide ample amounts of resveratrol – an organic chemical shown to prevent or slow age-related macular degeneration in mice – taken orally as dietary supplements or taken as oral pills, with researchers looking into ways to use resveratrol to combat the symptoms of wet macular degeneration.