Q. My mother suffers from macular degeneration – which has left her nearly blind – and her quality of life has slipped considerably. She can rarely do anything around the house anymore. What can I do to prevent getting this terrible disease and help her?
Macular degeneration is a big problem in the U.S. and is the leading cause of vision loss in senior citizens. An estimated nine million U.S. adults ages 40 years and older show signs of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to research that appeared in an issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
An additional 7.3 million persons have early age-related macular degeneration, which does increase the risk of progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration. That’s why this new study is particularly important, not just for you and your mother, but millions of others at risk for this disease.
The regular consumption of fish and omega-3 fatty acids found in fish is associated with a significantly reduced risk for women of developing age-related macular degeneration, according to the study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston.
Results for fish intake showed that consumption of one or more servings of fish per week, when compared to less than one per month, was associated with a 42 percent lower risk of age-related macular degeneration. Researchers say the lower risk appeared to be due primarily to consumption of canned tuna fish and dark-meat fish.
Regular eye exams for you and your mother could help you learn how to reduce the risks for this disease and ensure that your mom is getting the proper care for her condition.
Also, please encourage your mother to get assistance around the house. She could be putting her health at risk. Seniors who suffer from eye conditions such as macular degeneration sometimes can’t see their medications or perform the activities that are important to daily life such as meal preparation and housekeeping. She likely would be unable to drive so errands and shopping also could be needs.
These are all functions that a professional caregiver could assist your mother with as well as take some of the load off of you. CAREGivers from Home Instead Senior Care® are screened, trained, bonded and insured. Contact the local office today to learn more.
For more information about Home Instead Senior Care of Carroll County, visit www.homeinstead.com/627.1. For more about the study, go to http://www.maculardegenerationassociation.org/resources/information.aspx?post=a1ce1651-348c-46e0-92e1-9dfae30cf0a3.
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