Dry Macular Degeneration (Nonexudative Macular Degeneration)
Dry Macular Degeneration refers to a condition where the cells below the retina, on the retinal pigment epithelium, start to break down due to a build-up of drusen.
Drusen is a common extra-cellular deposit in the eye that tends to become more frequent with age. When this deposit starts to interfere with the retinal pigment epithelium, rod and cone cells in the area start to degenerate or atrophy.
Because rod and cone cells literally absorb and decipher light, thereby enabling us to see, the atrophy of rod and cone cells impairs our vision. Because of the area of atrophy (the macula, or the center of the retina), the result is central vision loss.
About 90% of all people who suffer from Macular Degeneration are diagnosed with the dry or nonexudative type. Dry Macular Degeneration seems to have less of an effect on vision than does Wet Macular Degeneration because the atrophy of rod and cone cells tends to be much slower.
Drusen is a common extra-cellular deposit in the eye that tends to become more frequent with age. When this deposit starts to interfere with the retinal pigment epithelium, rod and cone cells in the area start to degenerate or atrophy.
Because rod and cone cells literally absorb and decipher light, thereby enabling us to see, the atrophy of rod and cone cells impairs our vision. Because of the area of atrophy (the macula, or the center of the retina), the result is central vision loss.
About 90% of all people who suffer from Macular Degeneration are diagnosed with the dry or nonexudative type. Dry Macular Degeneration seems to have less of an effect on vision than does Wet Macular Degeneration because the atrophy of rod and cone cells tends to be much slower.
Wet Macular Degeneration (Exudative or Neovascular):
Wet Macular Degeneration is similar to Dry Macular Degeneration in the sense the macular degenerates, resulting in the loss of central vision.
In this degeneration type, abnormal blood vessel growth is triggered in the choriocapillaries (the choroids is also located behind the retina), resulting in the leakage of blood and protein.
The resulting fluid leakage and overgrowth of blood vessels can quickly damage the macula and its rod and cone cells, resulting in severe loss of central vision.
The major symptomatic difference is that Wet Macular Degeneration progresses quickly and can cause legal blindness in a relatively short time. Although Wet Macular Degeneration only affects about 10% of people suffering from Macular Degeneration, the quickness of degeneration and the massive amount of vision loss can be devastating.
About 10% of people between the ages of 66 and 74 are detected to have Macular Degeneration. These statistics can increase fourfold if someone else in your family has suffered from Macular Degeneration.
Although the disease is not curable, research studies by the National Eye Institute have found that certain vitamins and minerals can significantly reduce the risk of Macular Degeneration.
Some of these include Beta-Carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, zinc, bilberries, lutein and certain fish oils, vitamins and nutrients your body needs but are sometimes either neglected or not absorbed properly in elderly peoples.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, affecting one person in every 200.
The disease (or group of diseases) usually goes undetected until it is fairly advanced. Because of this ‘creeping’ affect, it has often been called the "thief of the night" or "sneak thief of sight" - indeed, its progression can be so slow that people with glaucoma don’t even realize that their vision has deteriorated by up to 50%.
Glaucoma:
• caused by increased intraocular pressure (IOP)
• starts by affecting peripheral vision
• usually goes unnoticed until relatively advanced
• no known cure
Glaucoma is the result of high intraocular pressure, resulting in optic nerve damage and damage to retinal ganglion cells.
The eye itself is constantly being irrigated by a flow of clear liquid that both replenishes the cells of the eye, but also maintains a certain pressure on the eye, called intraocular pressure. This pressure varies from person to person; an intraocular pressure that causes optic nerve damage in one person may be a perfectly healthy intraocular pressure for another.
Glaucoma causes permanent damage to the optic nerve, which results in the gradual loss of the visual field. So, unlike Macular Degeneration, the peripheral vision is affected first, slowly 'tunneling' off to the central vision.
The fact that Glaucoma affects the peripheral vision explains why so many people do not even know they have Glaucoma until it has advanced significantly.
There is no cure for Glaucoma. Some surgeries can be performed for some types of Glaucoma, but their results are temporary.
Prescription drugs are available to control intraocular pressure (IOP); some examples are Physostigmine, Litanoprost, Bimatoprost, Epinephrine and Dorzolamide.
With the resurgence of natural healing and remedies, recent studies have shown that many natural compounds and ingredients can not only help reduce IOP, but can actually nourish the optic nerve and help regulate eye irrigation.
Some of these natural compounds include fish oil, bilberries, Vitamin A, C and E, Beta-carotene, Selenium and many more.
The disease (or group of diseases) usually goes undetected until it is fairly advanced. Because of this ‘creeping’ affect, it has often been called the "thief of the night" or "sneak thief of sight" - indeed, its progression can be so slow that people with glaucoma don’t even realize that their vision has deteriorated by up to 50%.
Glaucoma:
• caused by increased intraocular pressure (IOP)
• starts by affecting peripheral vision
• usually goes unnoticed until relatively advanced
• no known cure
Glaucoma is the result of high intraocular pressure, resulting in optic nerve damage and damage to retinal ganglion cells.
The eye itself is constantly being irrigated by a flow of clear liquid that both replenishes the cells of the eye, but also maintains a certain pressure on the eye, called intraocular pressure. This pressure varies from person to person; an intraocular pressure that causes optic nerve damage in one person may be a perfectly healthy intraocular pressure for another.
Glaucoma causes permanent damage to the optic nerve, which results in the gradual loss of the visual field. So, unlike Macular Degeneration, the peripheral vision is affected first, slowly 'tunneling' off to the central vision.
The fact that Glaucoma affects the peripheral vision explains why so many people do not even know they have Glaucoma until it has advanced significantly.
There is no cure for Glaucoma. Some surgeries can be performed for some types of Glaucoma, but their results are temporary.
Prescription drugs are available to control intraocular pressure (IOP); some examples are Physostigmine, Litanoprost, Bimatoprost, Epinephrine and Dorzolamide.
With the resurgence of natural healing and remedies, recent studies have shown that many natural compounds and ingredients can not only help reduce IOP, but can actually nourish the optic nerve and help regulate eye irrigation.
Some of these natural compounds include fish oil, bilberries, Vitamin A, C and E, Beta-carotene, Selenium and many more.
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