by Buffy Cranford

Created on: November 12, 2009   Last Updated: November 18, 2009

If you increased the text size when reading this article, you might consider calling your local optometrist for an eye exam. Although vision is one of our primary senses, we typically disregard eye changes until we start squinting during a Power Point presentation, move a book closer to our nose, or require prescription drops for an eye infection. Understanding vision loss, properly protecting your eyes and making good lifestyle choices can help maintain sharp eyesight throughout your lifetime.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

As we age, our eyes, along with the rest of our body, can deteriorate rapidly without proper care and feeding. The leading cause of vision loss is Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). As the macular tissues of the eye age and thin, yellow deposits, known as drusen, appear from the deteriorating tissue. This contributes to blurry or spotty vision that can prevent you from reading or driving.

According to research by the National Eye Institute (NEI), AMD occurs in people over age 60 and in the last 20 years, eye health research has linked diet and nutrition with a decreased risk of age-related macular degeneration. Those who have high blood pressure, a family history of AMD, smoke or struggle with obesity are considered at higher risk for AMD.

NEI 's study included 3640 subjects between the ages of 55 and 80 in 2001. Subjects during the study were given an antioxidant vitamin or mineral supplement that resulted in a reduction of the risk of advanced AMD progression by about 25 percent and showed a 19 percent reduction in visual acuity loss in some of the subjects.

Nutrition

In our era of convenient food solutions in the form of juicy burgers and fresh fries, nutrition is often a second thought until our waistbands expand. Basically, your mom was right when she encouraged you to eat those carrots, but there are additional nutrients and antioxidants necessary for protecting your vision.

The basic food pyramid studied in grade school is still a great guide for balancing nutrition. Work on adding essential fatty acids to your meals such as cooking with olive oil. Optometrist Dr. Christina Sindelar, during an interview in her office in Lincoln, Nebraska, recommended plenty of dark, leafy vegetables like spinach, and avocados.

Eggs are an excellent source of lutein and zeaxanthin, and studies by the AOA conclude lutein and zeaxanthin reduce the risk of chronic eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

The AOA

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