Avoiding Eye Degeneration: Macular Treatment Starts With Testing
Are you concerned about eye degeneration? Macular treatment and macular health depend on many factors, but eye testing will tell you whether or not you have AMD. Like many diseases and degenerative conditions, eye problems if detected early stand a better chance of successful treatment.
If you are in a high risk group, i.e. Caucasian, female, over 55, diabetic, with a family history of eye disease, overweight or experiencing vision problems, you should stay aware of your general eye health on a daily basis.
Take note of how your vision responds in certain situations. Does it take a long time for your eyes to adjust to darkness? Is there any blurriness in the centre of your vision? Do straight lines appear wavy? Any of these symptoms could be indications of AMD.
Also watch out for blurred vision at the outer edges of your sight. Peripheral vision problems could signal glaucoma. If glaucoma is caught early it can generally be treated quite easily with eye drops.
As well as being aware of your vision specifics, have regular eye exams.
How Often Should You Have Your Eyes Tested?
Some experts advise that you take the Amsler Grid test every day. You can view a video demonstration of the Amsler Grid in our post titled Macular Degeneration Test You Can Do At Home.
You can download an Amsler Grid in PDF form by visiting My Vision Test at http://www.myvisiontest.com/amslergrid.php.
They also offer two new vision tests you can take, based on the Amsler Grid model. The new tests can pick up vision changes in ways that the original Amsler Grid may miss. Take the vision tests at http://www.myvisiontest.com/exam.php.
Other than your own daily testing experts suggest that older people should have their eyes checked at least once a year.
If you cannot afford vision testing, The National Eye Institute lists organizations that provide financial aid for eye care. Visit http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/financialaid.asp
In Australia eye testing is free under Medicare.
In the UK free eye testing is available to people in certain situations. To find out more visit http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/895.aspx?CategoryID=68&SubCategoryID=157
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