When a parent or grandparent starts to lose their central vision, it’s natural to wonder about your own eye health. At Summit Eyecare Centre, we can help you plan for your future, so that you can continue reading, driving, and enjoying everyday life.
Macular degeneration does not have a single clear inheritance pattern, but having a close relative with the condition does increase your own personal risk. Knowing your family history helps you take proactive steps to protect your eyesight over the years.
How Family History Affects Your Eyesight
The Genetic Connection
Genetics can play a big role in your long term eye health. While macular degeneration doesn’t follow a strict path from parent to child, if one of your close relatives has developed the condition, you are also at increased risk. A family history of macular degeneration is a good reason to schedule regular eye exams.
When to Talk to Your Eye Doctor
It’s important to share your family history with your care team. This includes developments in your family members’ eye health. If we know that you’re at risk for a condition, we know what to look for during an eye exam.
Other Common Risk Factors to Watch For
Age & Lifestyle Factors
Your risk naturally goes up as you celebrate more birthdays. Some habits can also speed up changes in your eyes. In particular, smoking heavily greatly increases your chances of developing macular issues later in life. Carrying extra body weight also causes additional strain to blood vessels throughout your body, including your eyes.
Health & Diet Influences
High blood pressure affects the tiny blood vessels behind your retina. To keep your blood pressure lower, avoid foods that are high in saturated fats. It also helps to exercise regularly, as even simple activities like a daily walk can help promote good blood flow.
Early Signs of Macular Degeneration
Changes In Central Vision
If you’ve started to develop macular degeneration, you may start noticing changes in how you see the world in front of you. These changes often start out small, but they tend to grow more noticeable over time.
Common symptoms include:
- Straight lines appearing wavy.
- Dark spots appear in the centre of your vision.
- Difficulty reading small print or recognizing faces
Early Symptoms
The early stages of macular degeneration often show no clear symptoms. You might just feel like you need more light to read a book or chop vegetables. You might also have trouble adjusting to dim lighting conditions when you walk inside on a sunny day.
A person struggling to read a newspaper due to early symptoms of macular degeneration.
Types & Stages of the Condition
The Dry Form
Dry macular degeneration accounts for about 90 percent of all cases. This form of the condition progresses slowly, often over years, as small yellow deposits called drusen slowly develop on the macula. Many people don’t notice changes until the condition becomes more advanced.
The Wet Form
The wet form happens when abnormal blood vessels leak fluid into the back of the eye. This type is much less common, but it leads to more severe vision changes. The leaking fluid brings rapid changes to your central sight. Because the wet form of macular degeneration progresses quickly, it requires prompt medical attention.
Simple Steps to Protect Your Vision
Healthy Daily Habits
You can make simple daily choices to support your long term eye health. Eating foods rich in omega 3s like salmon helps nourish your eyes. Quitting smoking is another great way to lower your risk safely. You can also stay active with a daily walk or swim to maintain healthy blood circulation.
Routine Eye Care & MacuMira
Staying proactive helps you keep your eyesight sharp. If you’re at risk of macular degeneration, you can use an Amsler grid at home to check your vision for any wavy lines. You can also ask your optometrist about MacuMira to support your overall vision health.
As your eye doctors in Kamloops, our friendly team at Summit Eyecare Centre is here to help you protect the health of your eyes. Our clinic is open 6 days a week, and we can even bill most extended health and insurance plans on your behalf.
Schedule your next eye exam today to protect your vision for the future.
