Macular degeneration blurs vision center

Dear Dr. Donohue: What can a person do to prevent macular degeneration? Two women on my block have it, and they have had to curtail their activities drastically. They are both widows. So am I. If I couldn’t drive, I couldn’t survive. — T.O.

Answer: Macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of visual impairment for older people. The macula is a small, round area of the retina, the eye layer that transmits incoming images to the brain so that we can see. The macula is the place of fine, central vision — the kind needed to drive, to read and to sew. When the macula deteriorates, it’s as if a thumb smudge blurs the center of vision.

The degeneration comes in two forms: wet and dry. Wet is the proliferation of leaky blood vessels beneath the macula. With the dry form, the kind that accounts for 85 percent to 90 percent of cases, causes are obscure, but the process is preceded by yellow deposits in the retina. Those deposits are drusen, and a doctor, looking into the eye with a handheld scope, can see them.

One prevention route is to protect the eye, the retina and the macula from the sun’s ultraviolet light by always wearing sunglasses that filter out UV rays. A second preventive step is to stop smoking.

A third way to ward off macular degeneration is to eat a diet that contains large amounts of vitamins E and C, beta carotene and zinc. Whole grains, vegetable oils, eggs and nuts are good sources of vitamin E. Citrus fruits and juices, broccoli, potatoes and green peppers furnish vitamin C. Beta carotene is found in carrots, kale and spinach. Meats, poultry, fish, dairy products and whole grains provide zinc.

Vitamin preparations of those vitamins and zinc, along with copper, are also available. You should talk with your doctor about the advisability of taking such a preparation. It can slow the progression of moderate macular degeneration to advanced degeneration.

The booklet on macular degeneration goes into greater detail on this topic. Readers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue — No. 701W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6.75 Canada with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.