5 Tips for My Younger Self to Prevent Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Who among us doesn’t wish we could step back in time and change things we did when we were younger? Maybe you bought a cool but cheap car that turned out to be a lemon, caused an accident that could’ve been avoided, or made an unfortunate career choice. We all have memories that make us shake our heads: What were we thinking?
While it would be great to correct mistakes, what about more serious matters? For example, where your health is impacted?
One of our patients, a 68-year-old man living with Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), recently shared how much he wished he could go back in time and change some of the behaviors that increased his risk of developing the sight-stealing condition.
We asked him what he wished he could tell his younger self about AMD. Here’s what he shared:
Ever since my diagnosis with Age-Related Macular Degeneration, a condition that has affected almost every aspect of my life, I wish I had made better life choices about my eye health. There are simple, everyday things that I could have done to make a difference in my vision now if I had done a better job caring for my eyes when I was younger.
I didn’t even know about AMD when I was 25 years old, but I wish I had. Do you know anything about it?
AMD is an eye disease that has blurred my central vision. It impacts your macula. I never even knew what the macula was! Your macula is a small but critical area at the center of your retina, which provides the clear, detailed vision required to do up-close tasks like apply make-up, read, watch TV, or check your Instagram.
AMD has severely affected my quality of life and compromised many of the activities I previously enjoyed:
- I can no longer drive because straight lines appear wavy, and my vision is blurry and gray.
- I sometimes have difficulty recognizing faces, which can make social events awkward. It’s heartbreaking when I can’t tell which grandchild is standing right in front of me.
- I find it hard to read the fine print of newspapers and books because there’s a big blur in the middle of my field of vision. Large print books helped for a few years, but even those are too small for me to read now.
- I can’t cook for myself anymore because it requires close-up vision to read a recipe and prep ingredients.
I know that being over 50 is a risk factor for AMD, and I can’t change my age. However, there are things that I could have done as a younger adult to avoid or at least slow the progression of this challenging disease.
Here are 5 things I would tell my younger self to reduce my risk or slow the progression of AMD:
- Prioritize a Healthy Diet Early On
When I was in my 20s and 30s, I would tell myself, “I’ll just pull into this fast-food drive-thru and order my usual double cheeseburger, large fries, and milkshake. It’s only my third time here this week.” Well, I can tell you from experience: That is not a good diet plan for your eye health or overall health. A diet high in saturated fat is a risk factor for AMD. I wish I had eaten more nutritious meals that nourished my body with whole foods. It’s as simple as eating the colors of the rainbow! Leafy greens, vegetables, and colorful fruits are packed with nutrients like lutein, zeaxanthin, and antioxidants — all excellent for eye health. Whole grains and cold-water fish, like salmon, are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that support macular health.
- Protect Your Eyes from UV Damage
How many times did I say, “I’m in a hurry, and I forgot my sunglasses. Oh well, one more day of squinting all day in the sun won’t hurt anything. I’ll try to remember to put an extra pair in my car tomorrow.” I didn’t realize how damaging the sun’s rays are to your eyes. I wish I had worn those 100% UV protection sunglasses year-round — even on cloudy days. Cumulative UV radiation exposure over a lifetime can contribute to retinal damage and increase your risk of AMD.
- Quit Smoking (Or Never Start)
I thought I was SO cool with a cigarette hanging off of my lip. I wish I had known that smoking could rob me of my vision and affect my overall health in so many ways. Everybody was doing it, so I thought it was safe. Looking back, I would have quit sooner or avoided smoking entirely. Smoking is the No. 1 controllable risk factor for AMD.
- Schedule Regular Annual Eye Exams
I admit it: I thought my eyes were fine, so I skipped a few annual eye exams because I was too busy with work or life and couldn’t fit it into my schedule, especially as I got older. That’s on me, because my optometrist could have detected the early signs of AMD before I experienced symptoms. But now that I’ve lost a lot of my central vision to AMD, it’s gone forever.
- Know Your Health Numbers
I wish I had kept a close watch on my health numbers. I just assumed they were good. Were my blood pressure and cholesterol higher than last year or two years ago? I didn’t know, because I didn’t think it was that important to keep track when I was younger. But you can start now: Monitor your numbers and compare them year to year, watch your weight, and know your body mass index.
If I had incorporated these good habits — and really, how hard would it be? — I might have avoided AMD altogether. I might even still be able to do Wordle or read text messages on my phone.
Please learn from my regrets. If you are in your 20s or 30s — or even your 40s or 50s or 60s — it’s never too late to adopt healthy habits that will improve not only eye health but your overall health.
Call today to schedule your annual eye exam and put yourself on the path to seeing your best for your entire lifetime. You’ll feel like you won the “I’m feeling great and protecting my vision” lottery.
It’s a win-win!