Ophthalmologists say early intervention is key to preventing and slowing down life-altering disease.
According to the Canadian Ophthalmologist Society, Age-Related Macular Degeneration has no cure, but there are many promising treatments and holistic methods to help prevent vision loss. (Victorfreitals/Pexels)
Tracy Orobko, 62, has been diagnosed with early signs of dry-AMD almost two years ago. Once she got news of the disease, she flipped her whole lifestyle around in order to curb its effects.
She started fitness classes and eating more fruits and vegetables to take care of her retinal health. Her optometrist says since her AMD was first noticed, there has been minimal change in her condition.
“Ultimately, if left unchecked it will result in vision loss and you’ll see black spots in your central vision where — if I was looking straight at someone’s face –I may not be able to focus on their face or see their face.” – Tracy Orobko
Orobko says she’s quite familiar with eye-related care and the fact there’s no cure for the disease, does leave her feeling uneasy.
“I’m at the early stages and I am committed to doing whatever I can do, I may not be able to help it, but I, if I can help slow its progression, then at least I feel I’ve done what I can do in this journey.”
This February is the first Age-Related Macular Degeneration Awareness (AMD) month in Canada. According to the Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS), AMD is one of the leading causes for central vision loss in people over the age of 55 – affecting more than 2.7M people in country.
In a press release, Dr. Mona Dagher, the president of the COS, says, “while many people associate AMD with old age, we believe the key to reducing its impact starts much earlier in life.”
Dagher says it’s important for people to be proactive about eye health through keeping a healthy lifestyle and doing regular screenings at your optometrist.
“Early intervention can help reduce the risk of developing AMD or at least slow its progression significantly.”