This article was written by Support

When you are facing the prospect of eventually losing much if not all of your sight to the specter of age related macular degeneration, also known as AMD, you’ll find that you might be looking around frantically for a treatment.  The first thing that you need to know is that there is no treatment that is going to be able to restore sight that was lost, just like there is no known cause of this condition in the first place.  Take some time and consider what treatments have shown up and what they can do to help you.  The realization that you need to make is that while this condition cannot be cured, it can be treated, and very effectively at that.

When you are looking at how to treat macular degeneration, you’ll find that carotinoids, especially lutein and zeaxanthin, are often mentioned.  First, it is important to remember that these substances are antioxidants, and thus they have a very justified relation to keeping people healthy and keeping premature aging at bay. They are also known to help you repair any damage in your body.  These are the antioxidants that give plants their red or orange color, and by making sure that you have carotinoids, particularly lutein in your blood, you can prevent the spread of macular degeneration.

It is not known precisely why our bodies react so well to lutein.  They may simply be acting as powerful antioxidants, or they may actually be protecting your macula, the part of your eye that contains your light sensitive cones and rods, from further damage from the light.  In one study, it was discovered that lutein taken alone or with other antioxidants allowed for a slower rate of vision loss, while those who took the placebo had no noticeable effect  When you are looking for foods that might help put more lutein in your diet, look for spinach, corn and egg yolks.
When you are looking into treatment for macular degeneration, you’ll find that there are a number of different factors that you need to keep in mind. It is possible that your primary care facilitator will be more interested in putting you on the AREDs formulation, which includes several different types of antioxidants as well as a strong zinc supplement.  The amount of zinc that it is necessary to take for this treatment to work is very high, and none of the antioxidants are things that are going to be available over the counter or in your food.

There are many different options open to you when you are looking to halt the damage that has been done by macular degeneration.  Speak with the person who is providing you with health advice and make sure that you consider what they have to tell you; it can make all the difference in how your condition progresses.