There are two forms of ARMD – wet and dry. The wet form is a medical emergency that needs immediate treatment if permanent sight loss is to be prevented. There is treatment that can help if sufferers are caught early. The dry form develops more slowly, and there is no cure at present, although research is ongoing. The latter is the most common form of the disease. Both types are a result of cells dying in and around the macula, a tiny area of the retina that’s responsible for detailed vision. Dry ARMD arises because debris from the dying cells builds up and causes problems with sight. Wet ARMD is more dramatic as blood vessels that form around the macula suddenly rupture, and the flooding of fluid damages the delicate tissues and destroys sight.

You can prevent your risk of the disease by giving up smoking, eating a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, taking moderate exercise, and wearing lenses with full UV protection, even on overcast days. Unfortunately genetics also play a part, so be extra vigilant with check ups if a family member has a history of ARMD. Regular eye examinations, with retinal imaging, will pick up early signs before you notice any symptoms. There are supplements available that provide anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals to help to protect the retina. If you have light coloured eyes, or have several risk factors, supplements may help you. Your GP, consultant or optician will be able to offer advice.

Varifocal Glasses

Three definite risk factors have been proven over the past few years – family history, age, and smoking – with only the latter being an avoidable choice. Stopping smoking will immediately reduce your risk, although obviously this is less effective in an older person. Recent research has looked at other risk factors which can be managed by the patient, to help prevent the disease.

Our diets have always been under scrutiny in examining which vitamins and minerals may protect the retina. Free radical damage is a cause of ARMD, and anti-oxidants in our diet can help to protect against this. You can up your intake of green leafy vegetables and a selection of coloured veg, or take a supplement to ensure you are consuming enough to protect your retina. Look for one with high levels of Lutein, Zeaxanthin and Meso- Zeaxanthin.

Lifestyle factors such as taking moderate exercise, maintaining low cholesterol levels and lower BMIs also reduce your risk. Wearing 100% UV protection sunglasses also prevents retinal damage, which is of particular importance if you have light coloured eyes – blue or pale green or grey. You have less natural protection with these eye colours than those with darker eyes. Even on days when there is cloud cover UV can burn through, so make sure you wear UV protection if you’re spending half to all the day outdoors.

As we’re living longer the diseases of old age will take their toll on our extended lifespan. Doing all we can to reduce our risks will benefit sufferers and the health systems required to support them.

Varifocal Glasses

Like any other physical trait, eye conditions can be inherited. There are two important things to do here. Firstly, know your family history, and ask questions about any eye health issues. Patients come in and vaguely say that Great Grandma had funny specs, but it doesn’t help us in monitoring your eye health. Secondly, make sure you tell your optician what you find out! Pass on any information, and check if you need more regular eye tests. For instance, if you’re over forty and a close relative has Glaucoma, then you should have a test every year, which is free under the NHS.

Some eye problems are down to anatomy, so this could be an inherited trait just like eye or hair colour. Long or short sightedness, lazy eye, Glaucoma are just some of the problems that Mum or Dad may have kindly passed onto you! Age Related Macular Degeneration is more likely to occur if you have every light coloured eyes, so wear good quality sunglasses, have regular Retinal Imaging to check for early signs, and take an eye health supplement.

While your Optician is always on the look out for early signs of eye disease, knowing your family history gives you an extra advantage in knowing about early symptoms and preventative measures. Take your children for regular sight tests and pass on medical history. Don’t forget to tell your siblings if any problems arise – they’ll appreciate the advance warning too.

So even though you don’t want to keep health problems in the family, keeping the information there might just save someone’s sight.

Firstly, a few lifestyle changes will benefit the under eye area and help you feel healthier generally. Smoking dulls your skin and can lead to the early onset of Age Related Macular Degeneration, so give up!! Drink more water, get plenty of sleep and work on your five-a-day of fruit and veg, boring but you’ll be more beautiful! Secondly shop around and try out some skin products. Don’t overload the delicate eye area, and never use heavy face creams around the eyes. Use specific products and pat in very gently – your ring finger will be the gentlest. Don’t drag the skin and remove all traces of make up before you go to sleep.

Make up around this area should be light and very well blended. Scrutinise your eyes and make sure eyeliner etc is kept soft and there are no hard edges. A sweep of a highlighter such as the iconic YSL Touche Eclat will reflect light back and camouflage problem areas. Bobbi Brown’s Tinted Eye Brightener is another great product that soothes the skin and will help to lighten dark shadows.

When you choose your new frames, go shallow, so that the under eye area is not within your frames, where it will be enhanced by the lenses! If you are long sighted your lenses will magnify the eyes, so choose a flatter lens. Make sure the bottom rim covers the lower edge of any baggy bits or wrinkles! Rimless or semi-rimless glasses will just add another set of lines and draw attention to shadows. Go for a bold rim in plastic or metal, that will draw attention to the frame and your eyes within it, not the area round the eye.

There are three aspects to specs for the garden, physical safety, glare/UV protection and your prescription. So much to think about! So let’s take it easy – safety is fairly straightforward and common sense. Don’t ever garden in glass lenses, pulling up a tough weed or strimming may fling tiny particles up that could shatter your lens. So stick to plastic, with an anti-scratch layer, and wash them before polishing after use. For heavy duty work with a chain saw etc, wear protective goggles over your specs. Many Gardeners end up with nasty scratches across their specs from branches, so preferably wear an old pair rather than your best ones.

If you’re out in the Garden for hours on end, UV can be a problem even on overcast days. Just wearing clear specs gives some protection, but consider investing in a UV coat if your life is spent outdoors. UV can trigger Cataract formation and Age Related Macular Degeneration. If glare bothers you, have a photochromic lens, which change to adapt to the light conditions, useful if you’re out dawn until dusk. If you’re strictly a fair weather gardener then a dark tint may be better, and useful if you snooze off for a well earned siesta!

Prescriptions become difficult once you need help for reading. Bifocals are annoying, as without the middle distance area pruning and separating tiny seedlings is difficult. You also don’t want to mow over your toes! Varifocals are probably the best option, as they allow you to see delicate detail and admire the view. So sort out your eyewear and pray for that Barbeque weather this year!

ARMD is a common eye disease that affects the lights sensitive Retina, the layer that lines the inside of the back of the eye. A healthy Retina is vital for sight, and the macular is the area of the Retina that allows us to see fine detail. Over time this can degenerate, causing loss of sight. Smoking can also contribute to the disease.

We have known for a long time that nutrients can help to protect the retina. Various combinations of Vitamins and Minerals have been suggested to combat the disease, which is the leading cause of sight loss in the Western World. There has not been a recommended daily allowance for the nutrients, or any concrete proof that the treatment was effective. Macushield contains the carotenoids Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and Mesozeathanthin, which absorb potentially damaging blue light and help to neutralise free radicals.

With the development of Macushield the processes by which the supplements work and the success of eye nutrients have been much better understood and documented. Advanced screening equipment such as Digital Retinal Imaging and Ocular Coherance Tomographers allow us to study the retina in greater detail and chart the progress of the disease.

As our population ages ARMD is likely to affect more and more patients and detract from their quality of life. While research goes on to find ways to treat the disease, at present supplements seem like our best defence. The development of Macushield seems to be an excellent step in the right direction.

A recent survey to question smoker’s awareness of potential health issues showed that they are well aware of an increased risk of lung cancer and heart disease. However less than ten percent knew that they were risking their sight by smoking. If you smoke you double your risk of Age Related Macular Degeneration, and the average age of onset is five years younger than for non-smokers. The disease progresses at a faster rate in smokers, and their treatment will be less successful. Macular damage also leads to poor colour vision.

Age Related Macular Degeneration is the commonest cause of blindness in the developed world, and there are 600,000 sufferers in the UK. It causes loss of central vision, and fine detail.

A single cigarette contains 4000 chemicals that cause damage to the delicate internal and external structures of the eye. These toxins raise your risk of developing cataracts as they damage the lens inside the eye. They also interfere with tears and corneal health. If you suffer from dry eyes smoking can make the problem worse, or make the onset of dry eye syndrome more likely.

The delicate external tissues of the eye are extremely sensitive to the toxins in smoke. This will lead to sore, irritated, red eyes and excess tears. The risk of thyroid eye disease is increased by eight times in smokers, leading to uncomfortable, sore, painful eyes.

So is it worth lighting up that next cigarette? Will the risk of blindness be enough to make an early New Years Resolution? Smoke really does get in your eyes………