Prevent Blindness -- Get YOUR EYES Checked

Some of you may know that I have been going through with my eyes.  A medical friend of mine just sent me this, and I wanted to share it with you.  Today's technology is awesome, but ONLY, if YOU act in time.  I was blessed, and so far, my sight, though not 20/20 is much better than it would have been had I not been seeing my eye doctor regularly.  Here is some information that MAY be useful.  Awareness Makes a Difference!

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) -- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a deterioration or breakdown of the eye's macula. The macula is a small area in the retina — the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye. The macula is the part of the retina that is responsible for your central vision, allowing you to see fine details clearly.

With macular degeneration, you may have symptoms such as blurriness, dark areas or distortion in your central vision, and perhaps permanent loss of your central vision. It usually does not affect your side, or peripheral vision. For example, with advanced macular degeneration, you could see the outline of a clock, yet may not be able to see the hands of the clock to tell what time it is.

Causes of macular degeneration include the formation of deposits called drusen under the retina, and in some cases, the growth of abnormal blood vessels under the retina. With or without treatment, macular degeneration alone almost never causes total blindness. People with more advanced cases of macular degeneration continue to have useful vision using their side, or peripheral vision. In many cases, macular degeneration's impact on your vision can be minimal.

When macular degeneration does lead to loss of vision, it usually begins in just one eye, though it may affect the other eye later.

Many people are not aware that they have macular degeneration until they have a noticeable vision problem or until it is detected during an eye examination.

There are two types of macular degeneration:
Dry, or atrophic, macular degeneration (also called non-neovascular macular degeneration) with drusen, and,
Wet, or exudative, macular degeneration (also called neovascular macular degeneration)

(PLEASE PLEASE have your eyes checked.  The possibility of going blind can be real, and is not reversable.)

AMD Awareness Week: June 3-7, 2013

(Get more information: http://www.preventblindness.org/ )

"Prevent Blindness America" invites you and your organization to participate in AMD Awareness Week, a week-long awareness campaign to alert the public about their risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).  AMD Awareness week is held the first week of June(June 3-7, 2013).
 
Downloadable Resources:
 •Prevent Blindness America AMD Week Press Release
•Prevent Blindness America AMD Week Event Flyer
•Prevent Blindness America AMD Week Poster (8 ½ X 11)
•Prevent Blindness America AMD Week Poster (11 X 17)
•Prevent Blindness America AMD Week Fact Sheet (regular print)

•Prevent Blindness America AMD Week Poster (11 X 17)
•Prevent Blindness America AMD Week Fact Sheet (regular print)
•Prevent Blindness America AMD Week Fact Sheet (large print)
•Posts to share on social media 
Online Resources:
 • Prevent Blindness America Age-related Macular Degeneration Webpage
• Prevent Blindness America Adult Vision Risk Assessment Questionnaire
• Check central vision with an Amsler Grid

• Presentations on Age-related Eye Disease: Healthy Eyes Presentations

If you or your organization utilizes the materials above, please share what you did. To send information or ask questions about AMD Awareness Week, contact Nita Patel at npatel@preventblindness.org.