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This is a long one.
At my latest eye test they had some new equipment which photographed the centre of the back of my eye.
The optician pointed out some little dots which they said were drusen.
Said that these were signs of dry macular degeneration.
The good news was that there was no sign of anything in the centre of the area and my eyesight was still very good.
Selected bits from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/age-related-macular-degeneration-amd/
"
Hmmm....how common does it have to be to be classed as a common condition? Also, from the 50s and 60s.
I don't smoke, don't have high blood pressure and I am not overweight. No knowledge of any family history.
My previous optician (now retired and sold on the practice) has noted some small changes in the macular but hadn't raised it as an issue.
Most of the rest of the information covers having an eye screening, which I already have every year. Must check back to see if this was mentioned as being present but not being important.
Types of AMD:
"Dry AMD
Caused by a build-up of a fatty substance called drusen at the back of the eyes
Common
Gets worse gradually – usually over several years
No treatment – unless it develops into wet AMD
Wet AMD
Caused by the growth of abnormal blood vessels at the back of the eyes
Less common
Can get worse quickly – sometimes in days or weeks
Treatment can help stop vision getting worse"
So again, common and can get worse over several years.
However there is nothing to say how long it takes or if it can never become a major problem.
"Staying healthy
AMD is often linked to an unhealthy lifestyle. If you have it, try to:
I eat a balanced diet if you consider LCHF to be balanced, of course.
I exercise, don't smoke, am not overweight.
There is no mention of this being linked to diabetes.
So there you go.
It isn't a problem at the moment but may be at some indeterminate time in the future.
There is no treatment but supplements might help but there is no solid proof.
The optician has recommended supplements which include zinc.
I am trying these for a month.
Which brings me to the real question.
If there is no cure, no recognised treatment, how can I tell if the supplements are making any difference?
I don't seem to have any of the risk factors apart from age, for developing this apparently common complaint.
So I can't identify any lifestyle changes which would improve my chances.
I am reminded of the apocryphal tale of the man sitting in a railway carriage travelling through Hertfordshire tearing up newspaper.
Another passenger asked him why he was doing it.
"It keeps the elephants away." he replied.
"But there aren't any elephants in Hertfordshire!" the other passenger protested.
"I know." said the traveller "Effective, isn't it!".
So if I keep taking supplements and my eyes don't improve, but perhaps don't get much worse or even very slowly, how do I know that taking the supplements is working?
Am I just "tearing up newspaper" (or £5 notes)?
I must say that there is some contradiction in the information.
It is common, may get worse over several years.
However you would expect to see a lot of blind people around if it was a widespread condition; at least the scary part where you lose your central vision.
https://www.brightfocus.org/macular/article/age-related-macular-facts-figures
Scary facts and figures here.
Quite a few other macular related sites on the Interwebs, mostly very depressing.
Finally a ray of hope!
https://www.macularsociety.org/early-amd
"It’s important to note that many people with early AMD will never develop sight loss, as the progress of the disease varies considerably between individuals.".
Now that is a crucial piece of information!!!!!!
Why isn't that plastered all over the other sites which mainly talk about blindness.
At a slight tangent, that reminds me of all the horror stories about feet which you are told on first diagnosis.
Eleven years without any foot problems and I walk around bare foot in the house, and do Yoga in bare feet.
It feels as though I was lied to and questions how accurate all the other information is.
Some people need scary to make them take notice, but other people think "Cry Wolf!".
Sigh. Rant over.
At my latest eye test they had some new equipment which photographed the centre of the back of my eye.
The optician pointed out some little dots which they said were drusen.
Said that these were signs of dry macular degeneration.
The good news was that there was no sign of anything in the centre of the area and my eyesight was still very good.
Selected bits from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/age-related-macular-degeneration-amd/
"
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common condition that affects the middle part of your vision. It usually first affects people in their 50s and 60s.
- It doesn't cause total blindness. But it can make everyday activities like reading and recognising faces difficult.
- Without treatment, your vision may get worse. This can happen gradually over several years ("dry AMD"), or quickly over a few weeks or months ("wet AMD").
- The exact cause is unknown. It's been linked to smoking, high blood pressure, being overweight and having a family history of AMD.
Hmmm....how common does it have to be to be classed as a common condition? Also, from the 50s and 60s.
I don't smoke, don't have high blood pressure and I am not overweight. No knowledge of any family history.
My previous optician (now retired and sold on the practice) has noted some small changes in the macular but hadn't raised it as an issue.
Most of the rest of the information covers having an eye screening, which I already have every year. Must check back to see if this was mentioned as being present but not being important.
Types of AMD:
"Dry AMD
Caused by a build-up of a fatty substance called drusen at the back of the eyes
Common
Gets worse gradually – usually over several years
No treatment – unless it develops into wet AMD
Wet AMD
Caused by the growth of abnormal blood vessels at the back of the eyes
Less common
Can get worse quickly – sometimes in days or weeks
Treatment can help stop vision getting worse"
So again, common and can get worse over several years.
However there is nothing to say how long it takes or if it can never become a major problem.
"Staying healthy
AMD is often linked to an unhealthy lifestyle. If you have it, try to:
- eat a balanced diet
- exercise regularly
- lose weight if you're overweight
- stop smoking if you smoke
I eat a balanced diet if you consider LCHF to be balanced, of course.
I exercise, don't smoke, am not overweight.
There is no mention of this being linked to diabetes.
So there you go.
It isn't a problem at the moment but may be at some indeterminate time in the future.
There is no treatment but supplements might help but there is no solid proof.
The optician has recommended supplements which include zinc.
I am trying these for a month.
Which brings me to the real question.
If there is no cure, no recognised treatment, how can I tell if the supplements are making any difference?
I don't seem to have any of the risk factors apart from age, for developing this apparently common complaint.
So I can't identify any lifestyle changes which would improve my chances.
I am reminded of the apocryphal tale of the man sitting in a railway carriage travelling through Hertfordshire tearing up newspaper.
Another passenger asked him why he was doing it.
"It keeps the elephants away." he replied.
"But there aren't any elephants in Hertfordshire!" the other passenger protested.
"I know." said the traveller "Effective, isn't it!".
So if I keep taking supplements and my eyes don't improve, but perhaps don't get much worse or even very slowly, how do I know that taking the supplements is working?
Am I just "tearing up newspaper" (or £5 notes)?
I must say that there is some contradiction in the information.
It is common, may get worse over several years.
However you would expect to see a lot of blind people around if it was a widespread condition; at least the scary part where you lose your central vision.
https://www.brightfocus.org/macular/article/age-related-macular-facts-figures
Scary facts and figures here.
Quite a few other macular related sites on the Interwebs, mostly very depressing.
Finally a ray of hope!
https://www.macularsociety.org/early-amd
"It’s important to note that many people with early AMD will never develop sight loss, as the progress of the disease varies considerably between individuals.".
Now that is a crucial piece of information!!!!!!
Why isn't that plastered all over the other sites which mainly talk about blindness.
At a slight tangent, that reminds me of all the horror stories about feet which you are told on first diagnosis.
Eleven years without any foot problems and I walk around bare foot in the house, and do Yoga in bare feet.
It feels as though I was lied to and questions how accurate all the other information is.
Some people need scary to make them take notice, but other people think "Cry Wolf!".
Sigh. Rant over.
