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ANNOUNCER: The medical questions that matter to you.
This is...
Age-related macular degeneration,
commonly abbreviated AMD, is a disease of the eye
that can lead to reduced vision.
But the best way to understand how the disease works
is to look at how the eye works.
Now, here's a model of the eye that'll help us
to understand what AMD is.
Now, the eye has a complex design.
But I just want to show you how simple the sight function is.
Now, when you look at something,
light passes through the part of the eye the cornea.
Through the iris, the coloured part.
Through the lens, into the chamber of the eye.
And on the back wall is the retina.
And that's where light gets transformed into images
that your brain can understand.
Now, this small spot here at the back of the eye
is called the macula.
And that's the most sensitive part of the retina
that allows you to see detail, and to read,
and recognize faces and so on.
So, AMD really is a degeneration of that part.
The macula, that sensitive part.
And the A, age-related just refers to the fact
that as you get older, the risk of AMD increases.
There are two forms of AMD.
Dry AMD.
Where cells in the macula begin to break down.
But it's not sure why this happens.
This is the most common form.
More than 85% of intermediate and advanced AMD cases
are the dry form.
Now, the second type is wet AMD.
And that's when dry AMD progresses to a form
where abnormal blood vessels grow and leak,
disrupting the macula.
Wet AMD is an advanced form of the disease
that involves vision loss.
As its name implies,
the greatest risk factor for AMD is age.
Those over age 60 are at clearly increased risk.
Those with European ancestry are more likely to lose vision
from AMD than those from African descent.
Women are at greater risk than men.
And if someone in your immediate family has AMD,
that is a parent, sibling or child,
then you are at increased risk yourself.
Also, smoking can increase your risk of AMD.
And obesity may lead to worsening AMD.
Now, how would you know if you had AMD?
Now, the problem is there may be no symptoms and there's no pain.
So, the first sign may be a change in your vision.
Now, the CNIB developed these goggles that people can put on
to simulate what it might look like.
So, here's what AMD may look like to someone who has it.
So, you'll notice
that the middle part of the visual field is blurred.
And therefore, it can make it very difficult
to recognize faces, to read and to identify objects
as you're navigating through your life.
Carol Mondesir has been living with AMD since 2009.
I know it can be difficult to explain
what you see and don't see.
But to the best of your ability,
how do you see when you have AMD?
What a question.
How do you see?
Like there's a film over things.
And sometimes, I say, I wish this thing would go away.
You know, there's this thing like a busy little cloud
that goes all over the place and there's movement in it.
And you get to sometimes it's visible, you see,
but it's there all the time.
But sometimes, you're not even aware it's there.
But it clouds and it just covers the image
that you're looking at.
If I look at you head on Yeah.
I can't see your face.
So, it's just sort of a dark spot.
It's just a big cloud. Okay.
Carol's experience reminds us
of the importance of staying on top of your eye health.
So, if you notice any changes in your vision,
go see your eye care professional.
And now a work on prevention.
Now unfortunately, when it comes to AMD
there are a number of risk factors
that you can't do anything about.
Including, your age, your gender and your ethnicity.
But the good news is there are some things you can do
in terms of your lifestyle, to minimise your risk of AMD.
Maintain a healthy weight by exercising
and eating a healthy diet
rich in green leafy vegetables and fish.
Maintain a normal blood pressure.
Either through healthy lifestyle choices,
or through medications, if necessary.
Don't start smoking,
or ask your doctor for help with quitting, if you do smoke.
And get regular eye care.
Including checkups periodically,
as recommended by your eye doctor.
For an overview of AMD
and how to maximize the health of your eyes,
check out the CNIB website at...
And for information on a wide variety of health topics
that matter to you, check out my website:
I'm Dr. Karl Kabasele.