What is the Cause of Macular Degeneration?
There is no one cause of macular degeneration, but rather many factors that contribute to the development this eye disease.
Certain risk factors increase your odds of developing
ARMD. Aging is the most significant risk factor. Other risk factors include:
Before we look at what causes macular degeneration (AMD), it may be helpful to understand, that the health of the eye is an indicator of what is going on in the rest of your body. Often problems in the rest of your body can be prevented, when an early eye problem has been identified. Conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure are often first discovered during an eye exam.
Macular Degeneration Causes and Risk Factors
Some macular degeneration risk factors we can influence, like diet and smoking and others we can't, like aging and being female.
You may be at risk for developing macular degeneration, like my husband who has a strong family history, but there is plenty of research that tells us we can help delay or prevent the development of this loss of central vision by certain lifestyle and dietary choices. Find out if you are at higher risk for age related macular degeneration ... and just as important find out what you can do to reduce your risk.
1. Smoking If we were to name the number one preventable cause of macular degeneration it would be smoking. Smoking increases the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by nearly 50 percent, reveals a recent analysis of about 3,500 Beaver Dam, Wis. residents undergoing eye-related studies since 1987. The finding was reported in the January 2008 issue of Archives of Ophthalmology
Study results also show that, of people who have macular degeneration, smokers on average were more likely to develop the eye disease at a younger age: * Current smokers (69.2 years) * Former smokers (72.3 years) * Non-smokers who have never smoked (74.4 years) Smoking causes damage to the retina in many ways. Of all macular degeneration risk factors, smoking is the single most controllable one.
2. High Blood Pressure The blood vessels that supply blood to your eyes, and in particular, the retina is very small and delicate. Like other blood vessels, they are damaged by high blood pressure.
This can result in the blood vessels leaking which leads to fluid building up in the choroid, a layer of blood vessels that lie under the retina. High blood pressure may be more of a significant risk factor for developing wet age related macular degeneration according to the Age Related Macular Degeneration Risk Factors Study Group. To learn more about what is high blood pressure and how to lower it click here:
If you smoke, stop! To read more about this cause of macular degeneration:
Blood Pressure Readings
3. Medications There are certain medications, prescription and over the counter, that may have adverse effects on the eye. Sometimes it is the combination of drugs that can affect one's vision adversely. Even health supplements and the food we eat can interact in a negative way. Always be open and complete when presenting your list of drugs and supplements that you take with your physician includes an appendix listing these different prescription medications and their side effects. He has also written a very helpful article on this subject here:
