What You Can Do to Prevent Age-Related Macular Degeneration

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Your eyesight isn’t something you want to take for granted. As we grow older, we face the possibility of being diagnosed with Age-Related Macular Degeneration, which is a leading cause of vision loss in people 50 and older. February is Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Awareness Month and Bausch + Lomb is partnering with Prevent Blindness® to motivate YOU to join in the fight to help preserve your sight. I’m excited to be asked to collaborate with Bausch + Lomb in this effort as an AMD Awareness Ambassador.

I started wearing glasses when I was only six years old because I’m near-sighted. I remember having to wear cat-eye glasses, which were popular in the early sixties. I thought they made me look like a dork and couldn’t stand wearing them. When I was 14, I was finally allowed to wear contact lenses. That was 48 years ago. It’s hard to believe I’ve been sticking tiny discs in my eyes every single day for almost half a century!

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I know what it’s like to not be able to see clearly because without my contacts the world is a blur. Not being able to see is a horrible feeling, especially when there’s an emergency, like the earthquakes we frequently have here in California.

My mother began developing macular degeneration in her eighties, so now it’s always on my mind.

Fortunately, there are steps that you can take that may reduce your risk of being diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration like eating well and staying active.

How to Reduce Your Risk of AMD:

• Avoid smoking
• Eat a healthy diet that includes green leafy vegetables and fish
• Exercise regularly
• Maintain normal blood pressure and cholesterol

Often, people with early AMD do not experience any symptoms, so it’s important to get a dilated eye exam every year.

How you can spread the word to fight age-related macular degeneration

Become an AMD Awareness Month Ambassador. Spread the word to friends, family, and others over social media.

Visit the Joy of Sight website by clicking here.

You will find the AMD Awareness Ambassador Toolkit filled with information and educational materials that you can share on Facebook and Twitter.

Let everyone know what motivates you to help preserve your vision. All it takes are a few clicks to share your personal story on Facebook and Twitter with #WhyEyeFight and #AMDAwarenessMonth.

Just because we’re older doesn’t mean we have to see the world like Mr. Magoo. Encouraging someone to help preserve their vision and that of your own is one of the best gifts in the world.

All About Your Eyes Over 50 – How to Keep Them Shining Brightly

Disclaimer: I have received information about the #WhyEyeFight campaign and compensation from Bausch + Lomb. The opinions stated are my own. This is a sponsored post.

[1] “Age-related Macular Degeneration”. Neil M. Bressler, M.D; Susan B. Bressler, M.D.; Stuart L. Fine, M.D. for the Retinal Vascular Center, Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland USA. Survey of Ophthalmology, Volume 32, Issue 6, May-June 1988, Pages 375-413 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0039625788900525

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