All About Eyes

This page is dedicated to educating patients regarding your vision and eyes. Dr. Gold and the staff at Liberty Vision care for patients in Hamden, Connecticut where their office is located, but people come from all over to experience his excellent results and high level of patient satisfaction.

Dr. Gold can treat problems that arise from common eye infections to more serious eye disorders. Macular degeneration is one eye issue that develops as we age. Often referred to as AMD or ARMD which stands for Age Related Macular Degeneration, it is the leading cause of vision loss or blindness in adults aged 65 and older. People in this age group represent an increasingly large part of the population, making this disease a growing concern.

AMD is a degeneration of the macula. This is the part of the retina which is responsible for the clear, sharp vision we use every day for things like driving and reading, often referred to as central vision. The macula is primarily affected in this degeneration, and can lead to central vision loss. Age-related macular degeneration affects more and more of the population every day. However, vision science has progressed dramatically with methods to treat this potentially devastating condition.
Risk factors for developing macular degeneration include but are not limited to:

• Aging
• Obesity and Inactivity. Overweight patients risk doubles
• Heredity
• High Blood Pressure or Hypertension
• Smoking !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Lighter Eye Color
• Drug Side Effects.

There is no simple cure for age related macular degeneration. Some treatments may help to slow the progression or improve vision. Your treatment options will be discussed with you and will be based on how far the disease has progressed and whether you have “wet” or “dry” AMD. Although progress has been made in treatment research, complete recovery of vision that was lost due to AMD is highly unlikely. Possible methods of prevention are much more important and they include:

• STOP SMOKING
• Minimize ultraviolet exposure to your eyes by wearing sunglasses
• Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables (contain anti-oxidants)

For information on other conditions or concerns regarding your eyes, please check back often to see what new information Dr. Gold has to discuss.

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