Sun conjures not only color on our face, but strengthens the bones and drives away depression. In recent years, however, the golden slice of sky has come under heavy discussion: Without adequate protection from the sun’s intense rays, we are in bad shape, including our eyes.
Sun exposure affects AMD risk
So if you want to enjoy the sun, you can’t avoid proper sun protection. And that includes the eyes. Researchers have found that older people are more likely to develop so-called age-related macular degeneration (AMD) the more and longer they were exposed to sunlight in their younger years. In addition to sun exposure, atherosclerosis, smoking, and low serum concentrations of beta-carotenoids all confer an increased risk of AMD.
What is macular degeneration?
In macular degeneration, the area of the retina responsible for central, sharp vision is damaged. The light-sensitive cells die at this site. As a result, those affected can no longer see sharply at this point. Reading or driving, for example, becomes impossible as a result. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most common causes of visual acuity loss in old age – around 20 percent of 65- to 74-year-olds suffer from it, and among 75- to 85-year-olds the figure is already 35 percent. In Germany alone, around three million people suffer from this visual disorder. The disease usually begins after the age of 55 and leads to blindness in the late stages. More than seven million people in Europe suffer from it. This makes AMD the most common cause of blindness in industrialized countries.
Timely detection is important!
The cause of the disease is not yet known exactly. Scientists suspect that the pigment layer that lies beneath the retina is destroyed over the years by deposited metabolic products. Patients with AMD often notice that kitchen and bathroom tiles suddenly appear crooked or the curb disappears. This is caused by changes in the retina. Because the healthy eye often compensates for the visual changes in the diseased eye, one should occasionally alternate between covering the right and left eye to notice changes in the vision of each eye even earlier.
Amsler grid tset
The so-called Amsler grid test makes it easy to investigate for yourself whether symptoms of AMD are present. The grid is held in front of the eye at a distance of 30 to 40 centimeters in bright light. Glasses or contact lenses should be removed for the test. One hand is used to cover one eye while the other eye fixates the dot in the center. If the lines around the fixed point are crooked and wasted, the affected person should see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. Although there is no definitive cure at this time, the progression of the disease can be halted.
Get diagnosis clarified by ophthalmologist
If AMD is suspected, the ophthalmologist can confirm the diagnosis with a posterior ophthalmoscopy. Changes in the center of the retina, such as typical pigment thickening, can be detected early and before visual disturbances occur. Generally the ophthalmologists distinguish between two forms: the most frequent form with more than 80 percent is the dry macular degeneration and the with 15 percent rarer form of the wet macular degeneration. The dry macular degeneration often runs unnoticed for years and at first hardly affects the vision. However, the dry macular degeneration can change at any time into the wet macular degeneration, which has a much more severe clinical picture. The wet macular degeneration is much more aggressive: It can lead to a serious loss of vision already within a few weeks or months. There is currently no definitive treatment for either form; however, numerous measures can improve vision.
Therapeutic approaches for macular degeneration
In wet macular degeneration, new vessels form in the retina that can be destroyed with laser treatment. However, the patient must accept the scarring of the retina, which in turn leads to visual disturbances. Therefore, this therapy is only possible if the vessels are not located directly in the macula.More promising is so-called photodynamic therapy (PDT), in which a light-sensitive dye is activated with the help of a cold laser directed at the eye. The dye itself enters the body as an infusion via the arm vein and accumulates in the newly formed, leaky blood vessels in the eye. The ophthalmologist activates the dye using the laser beam so that the diseased vessels are closed. Since the light-sensitive layer of the retina was already permanently damaged before the procedure, this outpatient treatment can halt the progression of the disease, but not fundamentally improve it. In many cases, multiple treatments are necessary. After the treatment, the patient should continue to wear special protective glasses for some time, which the ophthalmologist will give the patient. Long-sleeved clothing to protect against sun and light is necessary until the remaining inactivated dye has been completely excreted after 48 hours.
Prevention helps: wear sunglasses!
Sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats are an effective weapon against too much sunlight – not only for the skin, but also for the eyes. However, if you want to protect yourself effectively against the sun, here’s what you should look for when buying glasses: Sunglasses should absorb at least 99 percent of UV rays up to 400 nanometers in wavelength. The filtering of UV rays takes place in the glass or plastic material and is independent of the degree of tinting. It is not the darkest tinted lenses that provide the best protection, but sunglasses whose lenses are made of high-quality material with a built-in UV filter.
Pay attention to the quality of sunglasses
Sunglasses that carry the CE- mark meet the requirements of an EU directive that guarantees sufficient protection. Therefore, buy only glasses with a CE mark. Slightly curved glasses of poor glass quality may cause distortion in the glass. This can be easily detected:
- Take the glasses in both hands and hold them in front of a straight line
- Now slide the glasses back and forth. If the glasses are bad, you will notice that the straight line curves and distorts. You can do without these glasses.
- The glasses must fit properly. Neither the nose pad nor the hinges or temples should press.
- Glasses with scuffed or scratched lenses are useless. Any scratch in the lens, no matter how small, forces the eye to constantly correct, the eyes get tired.
If you are not sure which sunglasses to buy, seek expert advice from an optician.
