| Aging is inevitable. Prevention against aging | | | | increase inside the eye. It has been described as a |
| diseases is possible. Regarding your eyes, it is | | | | silent enemy as it creeps up on you often |
| easy to see how these overworked, never | | | | undetected as there are no symptoms or pain |
| rested organs, suffer with diminished functionality | | | | associated with this condition. A very scary |
| as time passes by. Vision progressively gets | | | | statistic is that only 8% of all Americans |
| worse as your eyes suffer one ailment, | | | | understand that glaucoma's development is not |
| syndrome and condition after another. Some | | | | detectable without glaucoma screening. |
| changes, such as needing glasses to read or | | | | The reason for why people get glaucoma is often |
| having cataracts, are commonly recognized and | | | | debated but some of the main culprits are high |
| certainly accepted as natural by-products of aging. | | | | levels of stress, diabetes, being overweight, cardio |
| Other changes are more subtle but can cause | | | | problems, thyroid conditions, poor digestion and |
| potentially greater harm to vision. | | | | the lacking of important nutrients found in food |
| Presbyopia - Long Sightedness - usually | | | | including essential fatty acids, lutein, zeaxanthin, |
| occurs around the age of 40, and is realized when | | | | taurine, antioxidants, bioflavenoids, zinc, selenium |
| you can no longer read the print up as close to | | | | and vitamin B-complex. |
| your eyes as before. The symptoms are | | | | Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness among |
| sometimes accompanied by headaches and tired | | | | African-Americans and is six to eight times more |
| or strained eyes. Presbyopia happens because the | | | | common than in Caucasians. |
| lens inside the eye becomes harder and has lost | | | | Yearly eye check up's are so important for all |
| some of its elasticity therefore restricting its | | | | eye conditions but they seem especially poignant |
| ability to change shape. The lens is simply | | | | with Glaucoma because you could already have it. |
| suffering from age and is no longer young, flexible | | | | The sooner you are diagnosed, the sooner you |
| and healthy as before. Reading glasses fix the | | | | will be able to deal with this insidious condition. |
| problem but of course some people find this a | | | | Retinal problems -The retina is a light sensitive |
| difficult step to admit to themselves, because | | | | tissue lining the inner surface of the eye which is |
| using them in public to read a menu for example, | | | | full of light receptors. When light enters the eye, |
| is basically admitting your age. It is also a bit | | | | the retina converts the image into electrical |
| annoying if you are already short-sighted, as you | | | | impulses that travel through the optic nerve to |
| will need bi-focal lenses or of course two pairs of | | | | the brain where it is decoded as vision. Half of our |
| glasses. Some may chose laser correction like | | | | brain is used for vision. Disorders of the retina are |
| LASIK but this author cannot agree with this | | | | a leading cause of blindness in the United States |
| approach due to the enormous amount of | | | | and many retinal disorders come with age. |
| negativity surrounding this procedure, let alone the | | | | Age-related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) The |
| side effects, costs and risks. | | | | disease is just as the name suggests: the |
| Authors note: N-acetyl-carnosine is a super | | | | degeneration of the macula, which is the centre |
| antioxidant specifically formulated to benefit the | | | | part of the retina. The macula is responsible for |
| parts of the eye that suffer from age. You could | | | | fine, detailed vision, and as it deteriorates, your |
| help prevent the onset of Presbyopia or stunt its | | | | field of vision narrows until you can't see anything |
| progression by keeping the lens younger, more | | | | at all. This usually happens gradually, maybe taking |
| flexible and healthier by simply administering an | | | | many years before reaching total blindness if left |
| eye drop. | | | | completely untreated. There are two types of |
| Floaters - These are tiny specks or | | | | ARMD - Wet and Dry. Dry ARMD is the more |
| "cobwebs" that float through your vision and are | | | | common form and the less severe. It is caused |
| especially seen in bright light or on a sunny day. | | | | by the deterioration of the tissue of the macula. |
| Some people see floaters throughout their life but | | | | Yellowish deposits form under the macula, causing |
| in most cases they are seen as a normal part of | | | | it to thin and dry out. The wet form of ARMD in |
| aging. But, should you suddenly experience a lot of | | | | its advanced stages causes rapid growth of small |
| floaters, this could be an indication that something | | | | blood vessels beneath the retina. Affected blood |
| more serious is afoot like retinal detachment and | | | | vessels leak blood and other fluid, which form scar |
| you ought to go to your eye specialist straight | | | | tissue that causes vision loss. |
| away. | | | | For those who have ARMD, it can be a frightening |
| Cataracts - There are many types of | | | | path to follow - particularly since mainstream |
| cataract and people can produce a cataract at | | | | medicine offers virtually no way to halt it. But |
| any time in their life but as we are talking about | | | | forward-thinking doctors have been talking about |
| aging eye conditions, in this article, we are | | | | the relationship between nutrition and vision for |
| referring to senile cataract. Cataracts are the | | | | years and studies started nearly 20 years ago |
| result of the lens losing its elasticity, becoming | | | | showed an extremely positive relationship |
| harder and more brittle. The lens suffers from | | | | between good nutrition and halting or slowing |
| glycosylation, which occurs throughout the body | | | | ARMD. In some instances the studies showed a |
| as we age. This is the imbalance or cross-linking of | | | | reduction in the incidence of ARMD by 25%, when |
| proteins, sugar and oxygen and could actually be | | | | that participating group used antioxidants and zinc. |
| considered as an aging disease. You can witness | | | | ARMD is the leading cause of low vision among |
| glycosylation by cutting an apple in half and | | | | older people and occurs most frequently among |
| watching it go brown. This is the same process | | | | Caucasians. |
| going on through our bodies as we age and in our | | | | Diabetic Retinopathy.If you are diabetic then the |
| eyes, the lenses are going brown or cloudy. Vision | | | | chances are that you will eventually suffer from |
| through cataract is like looking through a waterfall | | | | Diabetic Retinopathy which is when diabetes |
| and this blurred or hazy vision gets worse with | | | | affects the small blood vessels in your retina. You |
| every passing day. Cataracts are so common | | | | are at increased risk of developing retinopathy if: |
| among people over age 65 that they are now | | | | You have had diabetes a long time |
| considered a normal part of aging and cataract | | | | Your blood glucose level is poorly controlled |
| surgery is the most common in the world. But, | | | | You have high blood pressure |
| just because it is common doesn't mean it is | | | | You are pregnant |
| available to everyone or for everyone and it | | | | You are taking insulin |
| certainly isn't without risk or complication. 5% of | | | | Diabetic Retinopathy can lead to blindness so |
| all cataract surgery has serious complications and | | | | please have your eyes checked and screened |
| 5% of millions is a lot of people! Some | | | | every year. |
| replacement lenses have a limited ability to change | | | | Retinal detachment occurs when the retina pulls |
| focus and although they are good at their job, | | | | away from the back of the eye. This usually |
| artificial lenses will never truly replace your original | | | | produces a flurry of floaters in your vision as well |
| lenses. | | | | as flashes of light. This is a medical emergency |
| Authors note: Carnosine is an extremely potent | | | | that needs to be treated immediately to prevent |
| anti-glycosylation antioxidant for your body. | | | | loss of vision. |
| N-acetyl-carnosine is the advanced version of | | | | For the young, old age will happen one day but it |
| carnosine specifically for use in your eyes. | | | | seems too far in the future to care about. But |
| Carnosine alone cannot help your eyes. If you | | | | the more care you take of yourself today, the |
| have an interest in the damage caused by | | | | brighter tomorrow will be. If aging is a disease, |
| glycosylation which is something that especially | | | | think about preventing or slowing down that |
| 'attacks' diabetics, please read about | | | | disease. Small steps taken now will help for the |
| Aminoguanidine. This is the latest anti-glycosylation | | | | troubled road ahead. If you believe in preventive |
| product on the market. | | | | qualities offered by nutritional supplements and |
| Glaucoma - is a condition that can lead to | | | | vitamins, then don't forget your eyes! Use the |
| vision loss or blindness if left untreated. Glaucoma | | | | best ocular health-promoting antioxidant, |
| is the result of too much fluid, causing pressure to | | | | N-acetyl-carnosine, today and every day. |