If you were asked to go a day without your mobile device, how would you fare? A study by the Bank of America revealed that half of all those surveyed couldn’t last a day without their smartphone or a screen.
Think about how your day starts off:
- Probably your alarm on your phone beeps, so you look at it to turn it off.
- Then you check the news app to see what is breaking with the very latest news.
- Before you leave the house you’ll have a quick glance at the weather app to see if you need your umbrella.
- And to check if the trains are running on time, or if there are any hold-ups on the roads.
All of this, and it might only have been an hour since you woke up. And then you’ll head into the office, to most likely sit in front of a computer screen all day.
You know that the sun kicks out UV light which is incredibly damaging for our skin, but did you know that all of your devices and their screens also emit this dangerous blue light? UV light is the leading cause of concern for eye doctors.
What is Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and what are the different forms of it?
UV light is one of the major contributing factors to AMD, a painless disease that causes you to lose your central vision.
There are two different types of AMD: dry and wet.
Dry AMD is the most common form of the disease and whilst dry AMD does not always develop into wet AMD, wet AMD always starts out as dry AMD.
Dry AMD occurs when drusen, the tiny yellow particles that are largely made up of cholesterol, start to build up in the retina, causing degradation to your eyesight. It develops slowly over time, and whilst there is no cure for it, there are measures to be taken that can delay its advance and develop into wet AMD.
Wet AMD is the rapid formation of the disease, with approximately 10% of AMD sufferers having it. It is distinguished through the growth of abnormal retinal blood vessels which leak, resulting in sudden and irreversible sight loss. Whilst there is also no cure for this either, early detection and treatment is vital to help prevent full vision loss.
Superfoods that can save your eyesight
According to a poll by the College of Optometrists, over a half of UK adults had never heard of AMD, and in the half that did know about it, many of them did not know that a poor diet contributed to AMD. To help ensure you don’t suffer from AMD, be sure your eat plenty of:
- Fruit and veg rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, such as spinach, kale, leafy greens, yellow/orange peppers, and yellow corn.
- Fish packed full of omega 3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines.
- Foods containing B Vitamins: B6 is found in vegetables and beans, while B12 is abundant in fish and other animal products.
- Nuts – also full of omega 3 oils, especially walnuts.
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