Age-related macular degeneration, also known as AMD, is an eye disease that affects your central vision, which you use to see objects in front of you. Persons with AMD can still see peripherally--for instance they may still see the hair, ears and neck of a person, but the face will be blurred. AMD is linked to several factors, including genetics, lifestyle, age and diet.
Genetics, Gender, and Race
If anyone in your family has had AMD, your risk of getting the disease is increased by two and a half times over someone who does not have the disease in his family, according to The Eye Digest. And if your parents have late stage AMD, the Eye Digest says that you may inherit AMD earlier then normal. Generally, AMD affects persons past the age of sixty, but those with the disease in their family can get it decades earlier.
A specific gene has been linked to AMD. The Eye Digest says that people are more likely to get AMD if they carry a variant of the CFH gene.
Women and Caucasians tend to be more apt to develop the disease.
Lifestyle
Compared to non-smokers, smokers increase their risk of getting AMD two- to threefold, according to The Eye Digest. Obesity and high blood pressure are also conditions linked to AMD that your medical provider can help you control, according to the American Society of Retina Specialists.
Learning to deal with stresses in your life and regular exercise contribute to your well-being and protect your sight. Fast-paced walking for 20 minutes, three times a week is the minimum amount of exercise that will be helpful for adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the plan to increase it to at least five days a week. Exercising like this will also help you to control your weight.
Diet
Eating red meat more than once a week increases your risk of developing macular degeneration by about 35 percent, according to The Eye Digest. Fish eaten several times a week, nuts, fruit and green leafy vegetables all have protective components to reduce macular degeneration. The Eye Digest suggests that eating canned tuna is helpful if a good supply of cold-water fish is not available in your area. Spinach, kale, collard and mustard greens and other vegetables and fruit that contain lutein and zeaxanthin also may be protective, according to the Macular Degeneration Partnership.
