Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a deterioration or breakdown of the eye’s macula. The macula is a small area in the retina — the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye. The macula is the part of the retina that is responsible for your central vision, allowing you to see fine details clearly.

The macula makes up only a small part of the retina, yet it is much more sensitive to detail than the rest of the retina (called the peripheral retina). The macula is what allows you to thread a needle, read small print, and read street signs. The peripheral retina gives you side (or peripheral) vision. If someone is standing off to one side of your vision, your peripheral retina helps you know that person is there by allowing you to see their general shape.

Many older people develop macular degeneration as part of the body’s natural aging process. There are different kinds of macular problems, but the most common is age-related macular degeneration.

Signs and symptoms of Macular Degenerative Disease:

With macular degeneration, you may have symptoms such as blurriness, dark areas or distortion in your central vision, and perhaps permanent loss of your central vision. It usually does not affect your side, or peripheral vision. For example, with advanced macular degeneration, you could see the outline of a clock, yet may not be able to see the hands of the clock to tell what time it is.

• Blurry distance and/or reading vision
• Need for increasingly bright light to see up close
• Colors appear less vivid or bright
• Hazy vision
• Difficulty seeing when going from bright light to low light (such as entering a dimly lit room from the bright outdoors)
• Trouble or inability to recognize people’s faces
• Blank or blurry spot in your central vision.

The Risks of Macular Degeneration:

The risk factors we can control=Modifiable Rish Factors:

1. Smoking: Current smokers have a two-to-three times higher risk for developing age-related macular degeneration than people have who never smoked.
2. Artificial fats: Usually labeled “partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils,” these artificial fats are pervasive in foods and particularly in low-fat bakery goods. Low-fat foods are good options if they’ve achieved their low-fat status through a process that physically removes the fat, as in skim milk or low-fat cottage cheese. Low-fat bakery goods are different, however. If you remove all or half the fat from a cake recipe, it won’t turn into a cake; thus, when cakes and bakery goods are labeled low-fat or no-fat, it means they contain artificial fats, or laboratory-produced chemicals. These chemicals are not food and our bodies can’t metabolize them.
3. Sunlight: It is the blue wavelengths from the sun that damage the macula, not the ultraviolet (UV) rays.
4. A diet high in processed, packaged foods and low in fresh vegetables: Vegetable oils are added in the packaging process. These oils are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which promote inflammation.
5. Uncontrolled hypertension and high cholesterol: Research by the National Eye Institute indicates that persons with hypertension are 1.5 times more likely to develop wet macular degeneration than persons without hypertension.
6. Obesity: Being overweight doubles the risk of developing advanced macular degeneration.

The four risk factors we can’t control=Unmodifiable Risk Factors:

1. Advanced age: Although AMD may occur earlier, studies indicate that people over age 60 are at greater risk than those in younger age groups. For instance, a large study found that people in middle age have about a 2% risk of getting AMD, but this risk increased to nearly 30 percent in those over age 75.
2. Race: Whites are much more likely to lose vision from age-related macular degeneration than are Blacks or African-Americans.
3. A gene variant that regulates inflammation: While not all types of macular degeneration are hereditary, certain genes have been strongly associated with a person’s risk of age-related macular degeneration, and genetic predisposition may account for half the cases of age-related macular degeneration in this country.
4. Family history: Studies indicate that your chances of developing age-related macular degeneration are three to four times higher if you have a parent, child, or sibling with macular degeneration.

Treatment of Macular Degeneration:

People who develop significant age-related macular degeneration (AMD) typically compensate with large-print publications and magnifying lenses for everyday activities. In addition, evidence suggests that certain vitamins and antioxidants — vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and zinc — may help reduce or delay the risk of severe vision loss. Ask your eye doctor about using nutritional supplements.

Treatment for Dry Macular Degeneration

Dry macular degeneration, the most common form of AMD, cannot be cured at this time, but patients with the condition should continue to remain under an ophthalmologist’s care to monitor both eyes. If the one eye is healthy, screening should still continue.

Treatment for Wet Macular Degeneration

A variety of treatments are available for wet AMD. Successful treatment may not restore normal vision, but it will improve sight and prevent central vision loss from worsening. While laser procedures can destroy the abnormal blood vessels, they also damage neighboring retinal tissue.

Medications, such as Eylea, Lucentis, and Macugen, have become the preferred treatment for acute wet macular degeneration, helping to prevent the growth of leaky blood vessels in your eye. Lucentis is given once every month, although some patients may need treatment only once every three months. Macugen is given every six weeks. Eylea is given once every two months after three once-monthly injections.

Laser photocoagulation destroys leaking blood vessels that have grown under the macula and halts the leakage. Laser therapy is helpful for about 10%-20% of people with wet macular degeneration. Some vision loss may occur, because this treatment creates scar tissue that is perceived as blind spots; however, even more vision would be lost if nothing is done at all. Up to half of patients who elect laser therapy may need repeat treatments.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses a different, non-heat-generating laser to treat abnormal blood vessels. Visudyne is injected into the patient’s arm and flows through the vessels in the eye. Upon exposure to the laser, a chemical reaction occurs that seals off the leaky vessels. Since the dye is light sensitive, you must stay out of the sun or bright light for several days until the dye has passed from your system. Laser photocoagulation must be done before the abnormal blood vessels cause irreversible damage to the retina. More blood vessels could grow later on, so people who undergo this treatment also need to continue with regular follow-up appointments.

Vitamins. A large study performed by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health, called AREDS (Age-Related Eye Disease Study), showed that for certain individuals, vitamins C, E, beta-carotene, zinc and copper can decrease the risk of vision loss in patients with intermediate to advanced dry macular degeneration. In addition, there was a correlation between the hormone DHEA and the degree of macular degeneration. DHEA can be purchased over-the-counter.

“Nearly 80 percent of cardiac events can be prevented, cardiovascular diseases continue to be a woman’s greatest health threat. ”

goredforwomen.org

“Burn Awareness Week, observed the first full week in February, is a window of opportunity for organizations to mobilize burn, fire and life safety educators to unite in sharing a common burn awareness and prevention message in our communities.”

American Burn Association

“In the United States, almost one in four women dies from heart disease. Heart disease is the most common cause of death in American women.¹ Some types of heart problems are more common in women.”

WomensHealth.gov

“Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death among adults of both sexes in the United States. But this unadorned statistic does not capture the differences in how the disease unfolds in men and in women. “Most of what we know about diagnosis and treatment of heart disease comes from research done on middle-aged men, so we are extrapolating from that data,” says Dr. Nadita Scott, a cardiologist and co-director of the Corrigan Women’s Heart Health Program at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.”

Harvard Health Publishing

 The perfect gift this Valentine’s Day is the gift of heart health. Along with Valentine’s Day, February marks American Heart Month, a great time to commit to a healthy lifestyle and make small changes that can lead to a lifetime of heart health.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women. While Americans of all backgrounds can be at risk for heart disease, African American men, especially those who live in the southeast region of the United States, are at the highest risk for heart disease. Additionally, more than 40 percent of African Americans have high blood pressure, a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. That’s why this February during American Heart Month, Million Hearts is encouraging African American men to take charge of their health and start one new, heart-healthy behavior that can help reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke.

Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference

African American men can make a big difference in their heart health by taking these small steps during the month of February and beyond.

• Schedule a visit with your doctor to talk about heart health. It’s important to schedule regular check-ups even if you think you are not sick. Partner with your doctor and health care team to set goals for improving your heart health, and don’t be afraid to ask questions and trust their advice.
• Add exercise to your daily routine. Start off the month by walking 15 minutes, 3 times each week. By mid-month, increase your time to 30 minutes, 3 times each week.
• Increase healthy eating. Cook heart-healthy meals at home at least 3 times each week and make your favorite recipe lower sodium. For example, swap out salt for fresh or dried herbs and spices.
• Take steps to quit smoking. If you currently smoke, quitting can cut your risk for heart disease and stroke. Learn more a CDC’s Smoking and Tobacco Use website or the AHA.
• Take medication as prescribed. Talk with your doctor about the importance of high blood pressure and cholesterol medications. If you’re having trouble taking your medicines on time or if you’re having side effects, ask your doctor for help.Heart disease is one of the leading health risks facing men today. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), more than one in three adult men has heart disease. Although it may seem that something so serious should have warning signs, you may be developing heart disease without knowing it as you go about your daily life. Know the early signs of heart disease — as well as risk factors — so you can get treatment early and prevent more serious health problems.The risk factors:Risk factors include:
• Many men are at high risk for developing heart disease. The AHA reports that only a quarter of men met federal guidelines for physical activity in 2011. In 2015, an estimated 205 million U.S. men were obese. And about 20 percent of men smoke, which can cause the blood vessels to narrow. Narrowed blood vessels are a precursor to certain types of heart disease.
• Heart disease is an umbrella term that includes heart failure, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, angina, and other heart-related infections, irregularities, and birth defects.
• Heart Disease

• a diet high in saturated fat
• alcohol abuse or excessive drinking
• high cholesterol
• diabetes
• high blood pressure (hypertension)Early Signs of Heart DiseaseIn the early stages, symptoms that seem like mere annoyances may come and go. For example, you may have heart arrhythmias, which can cause:
• The first sign of heart disease is often a heart attack or other serious event. But, there are a few important signs that can help you recognize problems before they come to a head.
• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half of all Americans — both men and women — have three or more risk factors for heart disease.

• difficulty catching your breath after moderate physical exertion, like walking up a flight of stairs
• a sense of discomfort or squeezing in your chest that lasts for 30 minutes to a few hours
• unexplained pain in your upper torso, neck, and jaw
• a heartbeat that is faster or slower than usual
• dizziness or fainting
• Heart disease that involves your blood vessels is often signaled by:

• chest pain (angina)
• shortness of breath
• changes in your extremities, such as pain, swelling, tingling, numbness, coldness, and weakness
• extreme fatigue
• irregular heartbeatIn addition to the above symptoms, heart disease caused by an infection of the heart can include dry cough, fever, and skin rashes. *                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       *After undergoing triple coronary bypass surgery in 1999, Louisiana native, Clarence Ancar made the decision to make his heart health a priority. Before he had surgery, Clarence knew he had high cholesterol but had dismissed his doctor’s advice on adopting a healthy lifestyle and taking his medication. Clarence’s cardiologist, Dr. Keith C. Ferdinand, taught him that heart disease was not a death sentence and that he could still live a long, healthy life if he committed to making a few changes and respected his heart condition. Working together with his health care team, Clarence developed a plan to start and stay heart healthy. By setting small, achievable goals and tracking those goals, Clarence made a big and lasting difference in his health. He learned the importance of taking his high blood pressure and cholesterol medications. With the help of a dietitian Dr. Ferdinand referred him to, he started eating less of the fatty, salty, and greasy food and added more fruits and vegetables. He also began walking 2-3 miles each day. After his surgery, Clarence lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off. Today, Dr. Ferdinand continues to motivate and support Clarence in his heart health journey. By having a strong and trusting relationship with his doctor, Clarence was able to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Clarence encourages African American men to be strong and commit to making one heart-healthy lifestyle change during American Heart Month. *
  

  Strong Men Make Heart Health a Priority

A cluster of risk factors may also signal impending heart disease. For example, your risk of heart disease significantly increases if you have diabetes and high blood pressure.  These can be signs that your blood vessels have narrowed. This narrowing, which can be caused by plaque build-up, makes it more difficult for your heart to pump and circulate oxygenated blood efficiently through your body.

“It is happening to younger adults more and more often. This is partly because the conditions that lead to heart disease are happening at younger ages. … High rates of obesity and high blood pressure among younger people (ages 35-64) are putting them at risk for heart disease earlier in life.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov)

“There is no cure for Moebius syndrome but some of the symptoms can be treated through treatment therapies for some people with this syndrome.”.

Facial Palsy (facialpalsy.org)

“Moebius syndrome is a rare neurological condition that primarily affects the muscles that control facial expression and eye movement.”

U.S. Library of Medicine (NIH.gov)

“Once I overcame breast cancer, I wasn’t afraid of anything anymore.”

Melissa Etheridge