May is Macular Month, and with one in seven Aussies over 50 years of age affected, it's time to understand our risk and know what early action to take to save our sight.
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Difficulty with our vision should never be dismissed as just a part of getting older.
And while age is the single biggest risk factor for AMD, another is family history and smoking.
So do you know if you have age-related macular degeneration?
You can have early signs of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) without knowing.
That's why it's so important to have regular eye exams, including a macula check.
During the early and intermediate stages, you may not notice any symptoms, but once the disease progresses, symptoms include:
- difficulty reading or any other activity which requires fine vision, even when wearing glasses,
- distortion, where straight lines appear wavy or bent,
- difficulty distinguishing faces,
- dark or blurred patches in the centre of your vision.
Detecting, diagnosing and monitoring AMD is done by early detection of age-related macular degeneration, and it is crucial to saving sight.
The only way to diagnose AMD in the early stages is through an eye examination, including a check of the macula. An optometrist or ophthalmologist can do this.
Your eye health professional may use a variety of tests, including pupil dilation, retinal photography and optical coherence tomography (OCT).
An eye-healthy lifestyle
There are some things you can do to keep your macula healthy. This could delay the onset or progression of AMD.
Not smoking, doing regular exercise, adopting an eye-healthy diet, and protecting your eyes from the sun are all recommended.
Nutritious foods
"The right nutrition can optimise macular health, so an eye-healthy diet is important in reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It could also slow the progression of AMD," practising dietitian and researcher Diana Tang said.
She recently completed her PhD in nutrition at AMD and said nutrition plays an important role in optimising macular health and reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration.
"A healthy, well-balanced diet, which includes eye-healthy foods, is good for overall well-being and your eyes."
The foods to eat for healthy eyes
- eat dark green leafy vegetables and fresh fruit every day,
- eat fish two to three times a week,
- choose low glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates whenever possible,
- eat a handful of nuts a week,
- limit your consumption of fats and oils,
- think Mediterranean diet.
Apart from those essential green leafy hits, other nutrients that support good macular health are:
- zinc (oysters, seafood, nuts, and legumes),
- vitamin E (nuts and grains),
- vitamin C (citrus fruit, berries, and tomatoes),
- selenium (nuts, particularly Brazil nuts),
- Low GI carbohydrates.
Easy macular recipe ~ Spanish tuna bake
This delicious recipe is full of healthy eye nutrients.
What you need:
- 250g large pasta shells
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red capsicum, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup olives, chopped
- 2 x 185g cans tuna in oil, drained, flaked
- 3/4 cup grated cheese
What to do:
Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Lightly grease an 8 cup capacity baking dish. Cook pasta in a saucepan of boiling until tender. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion, capsicum and garlic. Cook and stir for five minutes. Add tomato. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Add pasta, olive and tuna. Toss to combine. Spoon mixture into prepared dish. Top with cheese. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden. Serves six.