Lots of individuals in Australia are now taking the macular degeneration eye test. Even though there is presently no cure for AMD (age-related macular degeneration), it seems there are a couple of things that can be done to decrease your risk of developing the condition and undergoing AMD-related vision loss. You must be particularly diligent as regards taking steps to prevent the condition if it features a history in your family, which has been verified as a factor for being at risk. This article lists the foremost steps you should take.

1. Stop smoking

Maybe the first means of preventing AMD is to stop the cigarettes or not even get started in the first place. Take the findings of the following studies into consideration;

• Smokers are as much as four times more likely to have AMD than non-smokers says University of Manchester public health experts in a report of the British Medical Journal.

• One other study conducted by the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary has shown that past as well as present smokers had a 1.7 to 1.9-fold greater risk of developing AMD respectively in comparison to non-smokers.

2. Go for regular eye examinations

Take regular eye examinations. It is recommended by the Australian Academy of Ophthalmology that you undergo a dilated eye exam once every two to three years at least if, you happen to be between forty-five and sixty years old and once annually after attaining the age of sixty. This means that you should make sure you take a comprehensive macular degeneration vision test every two or three years at the barest minimum.

3. Control your cholesterol and blood pressure levels

Some evidence has shown that bringing cholesterol levels under control is capable of safeguarding you from AMD. Cholesterol is the fatty substance that’s capable of building up in your blood vessels, inhibiting the blood flow that’s necessary for the maintenance of eye tissue. Also, getting your blood pressure under control might be quite crucial for the prevention of AMD. Key investigations including the Beaver Dam Eye Study and Framingham Heart and Eye Studies show that there is significant connection between the development of advanced forms of AMD that are potentially blinding and high blood pressure.

4. Use sunglasses that feature blue light and UV protection

Key studies in Australia have not shown conclusive evidence that being overexposed to the sun directly brings about AMD. But some findings have indicated an association between cumulative eye damage from being overexposed to both high energy visible (HEV) or ‘blue light’ and UV, and AMD, at least. As a true example, a recent key study discovered that individuals who consumed too few quantities of antioxidants, alongside being overexposed to blue light, were at least four times more probable to develop ‘wet’ or advanced AMD. For this reason, it becomes an excellent idea that you should use sunglasses that safeguard against both HEV and UV light, outdoors.

Following these steps means you’ve done all you can to avoid AMD. But if you are powerfully genetically predisposed to developing AMD, it could still develop and even worsen. Regularly going for your macular degeneration eye test helps your doctor to monitor your case most appropriately and offer treatments.

As reported by expert optometrists in Perth Western Australia, eye issues are turning a lot more rampant in the society, and are bringing about severe illnesses like retinal disease, glaucoma, and even total blindness. Fortunately, over the last couple of years, an increased concentration on research in the eye care industry has ended in amazing breakthroughs. Via these scientific achievements, experts are now capable of slowing down the progress of myopia and enhancing vision. Unluckily, without consulting experts like optometrists, myths around eye care deter individuals from receiving quality corrective treatment. To help you to ignore such misguided views and opinions, this article cuts through the most widely believed eye health myths.

1. I mustn’t see a doctor because my vision is clear

In opposition to popular belief, constant eye check-ups can actually identify and prevent key complications that might occur in the future. Prevention is surely the key to curtailing future or more extreme diseases, and consistent eye examinations are capable of sounding the alarm bell quite early.

2. My kids have never complained about vision so they are seeing well and mustn’t see any eye doctor

Well, this is certainly quite wrong. Even when your kids do not complain of having any issues with their vision, it’s best that you should have them go through constant check-ups for early detection of any potential issues. Medical guidelines and regulations recommend that your kids’ first eye examination should occur when they are only six months old, confirm the foremost Perth optometrists in Australia. The second eye examination should occur when your kid grows to between two and five years of age, and also, between the ages of five and twenty years, yearly eye examinations should be performed on your kid.

3. Reading in the dark brings about near-sightedness

Even though reading in the dark bringing about near-sightedness is a belief that is widely held, it has not been proven with sufficient scientific evidence. Nevertheless, through a sustained period of time spent reading in the dark, your eyes will surely be strained, and this can cause fatigue and eventually bring about significantly severe headaches.

4. Darker sunglasses provide much better eye protection against sun rays

Well, this is certainly false. Only sunglasses that provide between 99% and 100% UVB and UVA filtration are capable of safeguarding your eyes from the harmful rays of the sun completely. Whether they are light or dark does not matter at all. The single advantage that dark lenses might have is that they might decrease discomfort for those that have extreme light sensitivity.

5. Opening eyes inside swimming pools doesn’t harm them

Pool water features several contaminants and opening the eyes underwater without protective goggles exposes them to the contaminants. This then raises the potential of infection. Excessive chemicals present in several pools could also wash your natural tears away thus causing dryness, irritation, and pink eye (conjunctivitis). So, it’s an excellent idea to always wear swimming goggles underwater to safeguard the health of your eyes.

Reach out to the foremost optometrists in Perth Western Australia if you desire to avoid myths like these and others not listed here. The foremost eye doctors always use the latest tools and techniques to conduct comprehensive eye examinations.