Catch up on shows with The Coast On Demand
Friday, September 28, 2012 2:44 PM
Whether in its ‘wet’ or ‘dry’ forms, macular degeneration is a serious condition that affects 1 in 7 New Zealanders over 50, and one that optometrists are seeing in an increasing number of patients.
Macular degeneration is the number one cause of blindness in New Zealand. As we age, the central region of the retina - known as the macula - may degenerate. As it progresses, this causes distortion of the centre of your vision and ultimately, loss of vision altogether.
In its most common ‘dry’ form, the condition can be remarkably slow to progress and patients often do not notice any symptoms or realise that they have lost any vision at all until it is very advanced. Age-related ‘dry’ macular degeneration causes great difficulty in doing many everyday tasks and unfortunately, the majority of cases are untreatable.
In comparison, ‘wet’ macular degeneration is characterised by a sudden and unexpected loss of vision which must be treated immediately in order to save the patient’s sight.
Specsavers advises that everyone over the age of forty prioritises regular eye checks every two years as the basis for maintaining proper eye health, as some of the more serious eye conditions, do not have any visible early warning symptoms. Age increases the risk of a number of eye conditions, including cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration, so it is important to have regular check-ups to pick up any signs of these diseases, before they do irreversible damage to the eyes.
At Specsavers, a digital retinal photograph is part of every eye test we do. The camera provides a detailed colour image of the back of the eye, assisting with early detection of serious diseases including macular degeneration, glaucoma and retinal changes that may be associated with diabetes. In addition, the digital photographs allow us to monitor any changes in our customer’s eyes over time.
At 70 and beyond, a full eye examination is recommended every year, even if vision still appears to be good.
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