Macular degeneration, as the name suggests, is a medical condition wherein the central portion of your retina, which is the macula, wears down over time. This condition is age-related, affecting people who are aged over 50. It is a common eye disorder that reduces or blurs your central vision. Let us go through some important things to know about macular degeneration.

Causes and risk factors

No one knows about the actual causes of macular degeneration. However, this condition has some risk factors, like:

• Old age
  Adults above the age of 50 will most probably suffer from this condition.
• Family history
  If someone in the family suffers or has suffered from this condition, you can also go through the same.
• Obesity
  There is a high chance of getting severe macular degeneration if you are overweight.
• Other risk factors
  These include smoking and cardiovascular disease.

Symptoms of macular degeneration

A few important signs of macular degeneration are:

• Unclear vision
  It might get difficult for you to drive or read the fine print because you are unable to see properly. Moreover, you might start looking for a brighter source of light while working, reading, and doing other activities like these.
• Difficulty recognizing people
  In this condition, the patient often finds it difficult to recognize faces.
• Blurry central vision
  As the macula, which is at the center of the retina, is affected, your central vision gets compromised. This makes your vision dark and blurry.

Methods of treatment

Macular degeneration is of two types, wet and dry. The treatment of the patients depends on the type they have. Let us go through a few treatment options available for both types.

• Dry macular degeneration
  Your doctor will suggest getting some work done with a rehabilitation specialist so that you can adjust and cope well with the loss of vision. They may also recommend surgery that can magnify your vision. In this surgery, a small telescopic lens is fit into your eye to improve the vision.
• Wet macular degeneration
  In this condition, you can still work with a rehabilitation specialist to adjust to your lower vision. Your doctor can also administer the medication directly into your affected eyes, which will prevent the growth of new blood vessels in them. You also have the choice of photodynamic therapy, where the doctor injects a medicine directly into a vein on your arm. Following this, the leaking blood vessels are closed up using a laser. All of this will require multiple treatments to improve your vision.

Natural remedies to manage or prevent the condition
Regardless of the type of macular degeneration, it is still a condition that comes with age. So, you can consider making certain lifestyle changes to manage this condition or reduce the risk of getting it. These include:

• Quit smoking
  Smoking has several disadvantages, which make the body susceptible to different health issues and diseases. If you have a habit of smoking, stopping it could reduce the possibility of getting macular degeneration.
• Follow a healthy lifestyle
  You need to consume a nutritious diet and maintain healthy body weight to prevent macular degeneration. Exercising regularly is also important.

Foods to eat

Age-related macular degeneration can be highly influenced by your lifestyle and the diet you follow. Some food items that are good for your vision include various fruits and vegetables. Nutrients like zeaxanthin and lutein have antioxidant properties and improve the density of pigment in the macula. These are found in many fruits and vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables.

Foods to avoid

These include processed foods that have trans fat, high-fat dairy items, tropical oils like palm oil, and non-vegetarian foods like lamb, beef, and pork.