Macular Degeneration: The Big Mac Attack
Macular degeneration is the major cause of loss of vision in people over 60. Macular degeneration means that a portion of the retina is deteriorating, resulting in a loss of the central area of the eye’s visual field. It does not affect your peripheral, or side vision. What you see in front of you might be blurry or straight lines may appear distorted and colours may vary from one eye to the other.
Blurry vision, things changing shape, and colours no one else is seeing. It sounds strangely familiar.
Since the last time you tried Purple Microdot was when you were 19, if this is happening to you, chances are you are not having a flashback. I mean, it is possible that you are having a flashback, especially if you are on a severe weight loss diet that has caused your fat cells to break down and release all the LSD you thought that you had stored in them for posterity.
Release all the LSD you have ever taken. All of it, all at once.
Oh my god, what a thought.
I mean, lucky I never touched that stuff back in the day.
No. Instead, the wobbly lines that appear in front of me on the computer monitor when I cover my right eye are probably a sign of macular degeneration.
Lovely.
One eye is often worse than the other with this condition. Objects might also appear smaller with one eye than with the other.
Often, macular degeneration has begun and you don’t even know it yet. The results are not initially evident to the victim, only to the specialized equipment used by your friendly opthamologist.
If you are around fifty years of age, with excellent eyesight, it is still a good idea to get your eyes checked for macular degeneration, as the early stages are undetectable to simple home tests. Don’t wait for blurry vision and distorted images to show up.
The good news is that a recent “blind” (”hee hee“, okay, “groan“) study undertaken by the National Institute of Health and by the National Eye Institute of the United States, has shown that vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid, taken together, can slow down and possibly prevent the progression of macular degeneration. This study was entitled AREDS, an acronym for “age-related eye disease study”.
Macular degeneration occurs when the arteries feeding the retina are not functioning properly, possibly due to clogging from plaque build-up. Plaque is caused by an evil amino acid known as hymocysteine. Individuals taking these B vitamins and folic acid had significantly reduced levels of this harmful amino acid in their blood stream. More info at www.bloomberg.com.
Including nutritional supplements high in anti-oxidants and zinc in your diet, helps to prevent or delay the progression of age-related macular degeneration, according to the folks at www.emedicinehealth.com. They say that doctors recommend eye-specific supplements that include vitamins A, C, and E, copper and zinc, and possibly lutein and zeaxanthine. The latter two ingredients are responsible for the pigmentation of dark green leafy vegetables and are thought to nourish the eye and/or the blood vessels providing the blood and nutrients to the eye.
Just eat your vegetables.
Or perhaps not.
A recent major study conducted on over 100,00 men and women for 12 to 20 years respectively, concluded that fruits, not vegetables, reduce the incidence of macular degeneration.
Bananas and oranges came out on top. Veggies: zero.
Check out USNews.com
Which is exactly what the doctors prescribe. And your fruits and berries high in anti-oxidants. See my last post, please.
Folic acid is necessary for the formation of red blood cells, and the B vitamins have been linked to a healthy metabolism and nervous system, among many other things. They are highly touted in much of the literature for their importance in the maintenance of eye health. This recent ARAD study bears this out.
Herbal Remedies.com provides quality nutritional supplements at great prices.
Wearing an excellent pair of UV filtering sunglasses is also highly recommended by opthamologists in order to prevent potential retinal damage. Macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma are all suspected of being caused in whole or in part by overexposure to ultraviolet rays. Apparently, pilots of Icelandic Airlines have a far greater incidence of cataracts than the general population of Iceland (www.bio-medicine.org). It is thought that this is because they are exposed to stronger UV rays at higher elevations. There haven’t been any other reports released regarding how other countries’ pilots are faring in this regard, and probably won’t be. I mean, wouldn’t such studies give rise to across the board demands for a raise in pay due to greater perceived personal danger?
Coastal Contacts is an excellent website for finding top of the line, brand name sunglasses with maximum UV protection at affordable prices. They specialise in the distribution of high quality contact lenses, also at extremely affordable prices, worldwide. Largest distributor on the web.
Check them out at www.coastalcontacts.com.
Seeing is believing!
Tee hee.
Or, no more pilots.
Funnily enough, the vote would probably be for blind with more pay. It’s time for socialism, I say! Then we would be safe and financially coddled. Not wealthy, but safe.Then we wouldn’t be forced to make employment choices that would ruin our health…or would we?
Now for the latest breakthrough: hydrochloric acid supplements help to prevent, and indeed help to reverse, macular degeneration. It is sold as Betaine with pepsin. Not Beltane with Pepsi — although a little sexual activity might help the old blood flow. And we should all give it a go if we are not producing enough hydrochloric acid.
Betaine with pepsin, that is.
The sex is your own business.
Let me know if it helps.
Either one.
Ask for a hydrochloric acid availability test from your health practitioner. Or count your birthdays.
I’m 27. Forever.
Apparently our bodies stop producing hydrochloric acid at around 40 years of age, and all that heartburn, gas and bloating is not due to too much stomach acid as it would appear to the logical mind, but rather to not enough. Not enough hydrochloric acid in the system affects the efficacy or actual presence of digestive enzymes, and thus, the quality and amount of nutrients getting to the eyes or anywhere else for that matter. (Franklin Sanders interviews Dr. Wright, in The Moneychanger, among many other sources)
On top of this reduction in the manufacture of hydrochloric acid, we have the proliferation of the use of aspartame in everything from chewing gum and breath mints — after dinner breath mints, to artificial coffee and tea sweeteners and any and all calorie-reduced foods. Aspartame is made with phenylalanine, which every chemist on the planet insists destroys digestive enzymes.
So why in God’s name do we still allow the stuff to be used in any food or drink? I don’t care who owns the rights to it; they are killing us. Japan did studies on artificial sweeteners and has only allowed Stevia for the last 25 years. What is wrong with us? Are we utter morons? Get rid of aspartame people. Unless you can also digest glass or entire computers like the French guy in the Guinness Book of Records.
Herbal Remedies.com carries an excellent Betaine with pepsin capsule. The HCL or hydrochloric acid is derived from beets. It is only $8.95. Very affordable.
I love my eyesight. I’ll be eating a balanced diet of colourful fruits and vegetables, resplendent with dark green leafy stuff and berries of every kind. NO aspartame in my diet. And a vitamin and mineral supplement from Herbal Remedies.com, my favourite website for quality, choice and excellent prices.
Pat
« Filed under Cataracts, Glaucoma, Health, Macular Degeneration, Vision »
Over 90% of AMD cases are diagnosed as Dry Macular Degeneration. Vision Care
Wet Macular Degeneration involves the growth of abnormal blood vessels behind the retina, often leading to a rapid loss of vision.
Two drugs are being contested for use in Canada in the treatment of wet mac., and involve taking a series of somewhat painful shots in the eye.
Dry mac does not involve the abnormal growth of blood vessels, but retinal damage or detachment still occurs as blood flow in affected by plaque deposits, for the most part, or other damage to the blood vessels servicing the eye, or the inability of nutrients needed for the eye to function correctly reaching the eye. Right?