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AMD

What is AMD?

Age-related Macular Degeneration is a widespread eye condition that causes vision loss among people who are 50 years and above. If you’re worried that you’re not able to see things straight ahead, it is possible that a small spot near the center of your retina has been damaged. The disease may progress differently among different people. For some, it doesn’t cause a problem for a long time, while for others, they may develop a loss of vision in one or both eyes. It then becomes an obstacle in performing daily activities such as reading, writing, driving, household chores, and seeing faces.

Stages of AMD

  1. Early AMD
    There exists a medium-sized drusen, approximately the width of a typical human hair. However, people in this stage do not suffer from loss of vision.
  2. Intermediate AMD
    Although people will not experience any symptoms, this stage may result in loss of vision. Here, the drusen is larger and some discoloration would appear in the retina. However, these changes can only be identified after an eye exam.
  3. Late AMD
    People at this stage will experience a loss of vision. There are two types of late AMD.

    • Dry AMD where communication of the visual information with the brain is weakened, which results in the loss of vision. Around 80% of people experience Dry AMD, wherein you gradually lose your central vision.
    • Wet AMD where the central part of the retina is swollen and damaged. This can happen pretty quickly and is serious. Although it is less common, it is much more severe. You’re likely to have unusual blood vessels growing under your retina, which results in a discharge of blood and other fluids.
      Your chances of losing your vision are higher with Wet AMD than Dry AMD. Moreover, one can experience both Dry and Wet AMD at the same time and either one can appear first.

Risk Factors

There are several risk factors involved in the possibility of Age-related Macular Degeneration. Leading an unhealthy lifestyle, which includes smoking, consuming a diet rich in saturated fat that comprises meat, butter and chees,e can lead to cardiovascular disease and being overweight. Besides, continuous exposure to the sun without eye protection can also lead to Age-related Macular Degeneration.

There are also a few factors that are beyond anyone’s control, which involve a person aging, being Caucasian, a family history of AMD, having farsightedness, and if you are a female, can all lead to Age-related Macular Degeneration.

Symptoms of AMD

Symptoms may not appear in the early stages of AMD. You may notice that the quality of your vision would weaken and that straight lines may appear irregular to you. Moreover, dark, cloudy areas or whiteout as well as your ability to recognize colors may also alter.

Treatment of AMD

Eye drops are applied to widen your pupil which allows the doctor to look into the inside of your eye with the help of a special lens.

Your doctor may also inject a yellow dye into your arm, which travels throughout your blood vessels and with the help of a special camera, your doctor will be able to check if there is any unusual development of blood vessels under the retina.

Although there is no way to cure Dry AMD at present, nutritional supplements can help with slowing down the condition. The following vitamins and minerals would help:

  • Vitamin C (500gm)
  • Vitamin E (400IU)
  • Lutein (10gm)
  • Zeaxanthin (2mg)
  • Zinc (80mg)
  • Copper (2mg)

For patients with Wet AMD, anti-VEGF treatments help to minimize the development of unusual blood vessels in the retina and also controls any leaking that may have happened. There are also laser treatments available for people with Wet AMD.

Good eye health is a very significant part of your well-being. If you think you might be at risk of developing AMD, and are looking for an experienced ophthalmologist in Fresno, call us on 559-449-5050.

cataract surgery recovery

Regarded as one of the safest and most commonly performed procedures, the cataract surgery lasts 10-20 minutes on average, under topical anesthesia, and allows an intraocular lens (IOL) to be inserted instead of the opaque lens, leading to a total recovery of your visual ability. Most patients return to normal life as early as the next day, but of course, it is necessary to take some precautions to prevent potential cataract surgery complications.

Continue reading 10 Tips to Achieve the Best Cataract Surgery Recovery

Yoga for Eyes

Our fast-paced life calls for a little bit of exercise to improve our health. Hours of full-body workouts at the gym often make us neglect our eye health and the prolonged use of digital displays could be doing more damage to our eyes than we imagine.

Today, Yoga is being practiced by people the world over and an exercise that was once practiced by a few is now gravitating towards becoming a fitness mantra.

Continue reading Benefits of Eye Yoga

LASIK Surgeon

Getting a LASIK surgery can be an exciting prospect. After all, you won’t have to deal with spectacles or contact lenses anymore! However, as exciting as it is getting under the laser, you must avoid some commonly made mistakes since one tiny slip can cost you your vision.

In this article, we will look at some common pitfalls that you must avoid to get the perfect vision with absolutely no side-effects after the surgery.

Continue reading 5 Commonly Made Mistakes While Choosing a LASIK Surgeon

How Often Should You Get an Eye Exam

According to recent reports by the CDC, approximately 14 million Americans aged 12 years and older have self-reported visual impairment defined as distance visual acuity of 20/50 or worse.

That’s not all! Out of the estimated 61 million adults in the United States classified as being at high risk for serious vision loss, only half of them actually visited an ophthalmologist in the past 12 months!

Continue reading How Often To Get Eye Exam?

cost of contacts vs glasses vs lasik eye surgery

While you might know that about half the population of America (150 million people) wear corrective eyewear, did you know that Americans spend more than $15 billion each year simply on corrective eyewear? Yes, it’s true.

While eye glasses and contact lenses might seem like a very cost-effective option, you would be surprised to know how much you actually end up shelling out while using glasses and lenses over your lifetime. Let us take a look at the different kinds of costs associated with the available methods of vision correction:

Continue reading LASIK vs Corrective Eyewear: Which Option is More Cost-Effective?

Woman using eye exercises to reduce eye strain

With every passing year, the number of people suffering from vision problems is increasing exponentially due to different reasons that range from loss of flexibility of distance vision to aging vision. While the culprit is partly aging, a major reason is the modern, sedentary lifestyle.

Constant working on computers, binge-watching TV series, use of fluorescent lighting, air conditioning, and lack of exercise – all of these habits exert additional strain on your eyes and cause blurry vision. So break your poor vision habits and start exercising for overall health because that will not only help you stay fit but also keep several eye diseases away.

Whether you want to prevent your eyesight from getting worse or don’t want to wear glasses shortly, following these eye relaxation exercises will dramatically improve your vision and reduce eye strain:

8 Top Effective Eye Exercises To Improve Eyesight

1. Blink Your Eyes More Often

Man Suffering from eye strain caused by prolonged screen time

Continued exposure to digital devices such as TV screens and the use of computers for extended periods leads to dry eyes and dry eyes cause headaches, eye strain, and blurry vision. When the eyes are absorbed in the screen, the blink rate drops from 20bpm to 6-8bpm.

So the next time you feel the eye strain, consciously blink your eyes and it will lubricate the eyes while refreshing your brain to process new visual data more efficiently. Additionally, you can breathe deeply to reduce overall stress and improve your focus.

2. Palm for Relaxed Vision Therapy

Woman suffering from dry eye

This is a highly effective eye relaxation technique that you can use every time your eyes feel tired and worn.

All you need to do is sit comfortably and cup your hands over the socket of your eyes to apply gentle pressure. Keep your eyes closed and stare into the dark space while staying focused in the distance. Hold the pressure till you see all the residual tones fade to black.

This eye relaxation exercise will work to reset your vision, lubricate your eyes, and allow your eyes to rest and relax from eye fatigue. Do this exercise for at least 30 seconds and relieve the stress around your eyes.

3. Trace an Eight

Tracing 8 eye exercise

This eye exercise will increase the flexibility of your eye muscles and improve your vision. Visualize a gigantic 8 almost 10 feet away from you and turn it on its side. Now sketch it with your eyes slowly for a few minutes – first clockwise and then anticlockwise. Be perseverant with this and it will help maintain clear vision and reduce eye fatigue.

4. Roll Your Eyes

To perform these types of eye exercises, slowly roll your eyes to the right and then slowly shift your gaze to the left. Keep doing the same thing but in opposite directions. Then move your gaze in different directions by looking from right to left and then up and down and in a circular motion. You can also draw geometric figures with your gaze. Repeat the process of eye-rolling five to ten times.

5. Follow the 20-20-20 rule

man working on laptop

To keep your eyes from getting tired at work, take a 20-second break every 20 minutes and focus on something that is located at least 20 feet away from you. This exercise helps prevent digital eye strain and eye damage in the long run, and it also relaxes your facial muscles, providing overall relief.

6. Focus on Objects Near and Far

People with glasses often get lethargic at gazing and this is a major reason they fail to maintain healthy vision. To do the near and far focus exercise you need to sit in a comfortable position, take off your glasses, and hold one of your thumbs close up and the other at your arm’s length.

Start by focusing on your thumb held close up, followed by the one that’s at your arm’s length, then focus on something that is sitting across the room, and finally on a distant object that is far away like across the road.

While you do this eye exercise make sure, all four points are situated along the same line of sight so the change in focus is subtle. Spend 2 seconds on every object and try to obtain a clear image of every item.

Doing these kinds of eye exercises like near-far focus to improve eye comfort will relax your eyes.

7. Do the Clock Exercise

clock on the blue wall

This exercise helps your tired eyes feel better and can stop headaches and eye pain.

Picture a big clock in front of you. Move your eyes to where 6 would be then to where 12 would be without moving your head 

Next, move your eyes to the opposite pairs on the clock — 3 and 9, 4 and 10, 5 and 11, and so on. Look at each number for a second or two before moving to the next one. Do this for 4-5 minutes to alleviate eye strain.

8. Zooming

Start by holding your thumb and index finger together in a “pinch” gesture at arm’s length. Bring your finger and thumb slowly up to your face, focusing on your thumb’s tip until it gets hazy. Then, slowly return your arm to its maximum length while keeping your thumb in focus. Ten times through, repeat this workout.

Doing these eye exercises for several minutes every day will strengthen your eye muscles and improve your overall eye health naturally but the best way to be really sure that your eyes stay healthy is to visit an eye care professional regularly.

Book an appointment with an ophthalmologist in Fresno today to find eye diseases early on and prevent long-term vision problems.

Book Appointment

Women-At-Greater-Risk-of-Age-Related-Eye-Health-Problems

It’s crucial to take care of your eyes at any point in life, but more so as you get older. It’s common knowledge that men and women are prone to developing common eye disorders and diseases with advancing age. However, research shows that the latter group may be at higher risk.

Let’s look at how age affects your eyes, how to maintain healthy vision for women, and why regularly visiting an ophthalmologist in Fresno (or your local area) is so important.

Continue reading Are Women At Greater Risk of Age-Related Eye Health Problems?

LASIK-candidate

Recent data have confirmed that the complication rate with LASIK eye surgery is less than 1%, and rarely do the complications have a significant impact. Also, the risk of eye infections following a LASIK eye surgery is negligible.

LASIK eye surgery has come a long way with evolving advances in medical technology, and this is why the requirements for LASIK surgery have also become relatively relaxed.

However, the procedure is not right for everyone, and so a  LASIK eye surgery candidate is required to undergo a preoperative eye evaluation to help determine if they are eligible.

Continue reading How You Can Qualify As a Good Candidate For Lasik Eye Surgery

Low Vision

According to recent studies funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the number of Americans who are visually impaired, including those with low vision, is expected to double to more than 8 million by 2050. With the increasing life expectancy rates, these numbers are extremely concerning, as this goes to show that an increasing number of people are at risk of developing a visual impairment.

Continue reading Low Vision Awareness Month 2025

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