MACULAR DEGENRATION

 For treatment information see page MicroAcupuncture procedure.

 

MACULAR DEGENERATION

 

For Macular Degeneration treatment see page MicroAcupuncture  treatment

 

When you suffer from Macular Degeneration, there are some things you as an individual can do yourself to slow down the progression of macular degeneration. Combining supplements and lifestyle changes you will “see” the difference.

 

1.      As an individual with macular degeneration, you should plan your daily menus as colorful as possible with macular degeneration in mind and eat different food everyday with the exception of kale. Kale should be eaten everyday, even if you just chop up a small amount and sprinkle it in or on your meals daily. Kale will help reduce the risk of vision loss related to macular degeneration.

 

2.      Macular degeneration patients should make it a habit to eat fresh vegetables everyday. With macular degeneration there is no way to replace fresh with canned or dried vegetables. Remember the more colorful, the more beneficial when you suffer from macular degeneration.

 

3.      As part of your treatment for macular degeneration you should take a good vitamin/mineral supplement. We recommend our Micro Acupuncture Vision Support capsules. In addition, you should also take 1200mg of Lecithin a day. Lecithin helps with the cholesterol build up which is caused from the macular degeneration.

 

4.      Take a good fish oil; this helps you to maintain good blood quality with macular degeneration. We recommend Superba Krill Oil from the cold pole waters, which is free from pollutants and important for those who have macular degeneration.

 

5.      Make it a habit to exercise everyday, drink plenty of water and be lean with salt. Macular degeneration starts with plaque buildup in the arteries, so protect your macula the same way you would protect your heart.

 

6.      To monitor the development of macular degeneration you can get visual field scans. This will map the area and severity of the damage you have from macular degeneration. To check for changes in macular degeneration you can also have an amsler grid performed. Macular degeneration has two stages: dry and wet. Almost all cases of macular degeneration start as the dry form, also being the most common form. Dry macular degeneration changes to wet macular degeneration in approximately 15 percent of cases. The use of a near visual acuity card to check your vision in reading distance of 18 inches is also recommended for patients with macular degeneration.

 

7.      You should keep regular appointments with your ophthalmologist. This will give you documentation of the changes in your macular degeneration.

 

 

 

MACULAR DEGENERATION

 

General information regarding Macular Degeneration

 

Macular degeneration is the deterioration of the central area of the retina, called the macula. The macula is very small, accounting for only 5% of the surface

 

 

 

In Macular Degeneration, damage or breakdown of the macula occurs. The symptoms are distortion or blurriness of detailed vision (central vision). The most common type of macular degeneration is the "dry" or atrophic form. In this form, there is damage to the pigment layer under the retina. Because the pigment layer provides nutrition and protection to the retina, when it is damaged, the retina doesn't function properly. The dry form of the disease tends to progress slowly, and cause less severe vision loss.

 

All macular degeneration starts out as the dry type. In 10-15% of cases it progresses to the more aggressive "wet" or exudative type. Abnormal blood vessels form under the macula, which leak fluid or blood. Vision loss from the "wet" type tends to be more rapid and severe than the "dry" type. Macular degeneration almost always involves both eyes, but one eye is often many years ahead of the other in the deterioration process. It is possible to have one eye with the dry type and one eye with the wet type.

 

Despite the fact that age related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the major causes of decreased vision, scientists are not able to determine what causes this change in the macular. In most cases of AMD, people are affected at the ages of 60 - 65; however there have been cases where people have been diagnosed at ages range from 40's to 50's. AMD has also been found to be a hereditary disease, which may provide an increased risk to people who are related to someone with AMD. It is not known what else causes it.

 

Most people who develop AMD have the "dry" type; this is a very slow working process. In this condition, yellowish deposits called drusen accumulate beneath a part of the eye known as the retina and cause it to lose some of its function. Because the central part of the retina, known as the macula, is most affected. This process is called "Macular" Degeneration. The layer of light sensitive cells also gets thinner. This normally causes the vision to get distorted or blurred when reading. When the disease strikes one eye there is an increased risk that the other eye will also become affected. Persons with the "dry" AMD rarely become totally blind.

 

The real problem occurs when the "wet" type develops. When the wet type develops it is also called neovascular form. This form is caused by new blood vessels when they begin to grow under the macular. When these blood vessels leek, nearby cells weaken and die. This can make straight lines look curved and result in blank spots within the vision field. If the leaking continues, it will destroy most of the nerve tissue within weeks to months. Today, this damage cannot be repaired by modern medicine. The neovascular “wet” form only strikes a small percentage of AMD patients. When macular degeneration is found in juvenile individuals (age range from 7 years to early teens), the condition is called Stargardt’s Disease and is similar to the “dry” form of macular degeneration.

 

Visual field scans are performed on each patient to get a better understanding of the patient’s vision limitations. The printed pattern identifies those areas that are affected by macular degeneration. 

 

Dark colors represent seriously limited vision, black is no vision at all.
Lighter colors, yellow being the highest, represent clear vision.

 

 

The above photo represents Juvenile MD.
You can see the positive progression after only 2 weeks of Micro Acupuncture™ therapy.

 

                 MICROACUPUNCTURE VISION SUPPORT

 

 This product is formulated to promote proper functioning of the eyes. The nutrients are provided as a supplement for those that are beneficial or lost with aging or long time malnutrition. Vitamin A, besides being beneficial to mucous membranes, is essential to the formation of visual purple pigment which is necessary for proper night vision. Raw eye concentrate is added to assist in cellular repair. Lecithin provides lipotrophic factors (for controlling cholesterol), and the herb, eyebright, has been used for many years to benefit vision. Lutein is found naturally in the lens and retina. The amino acids are precursors of Glutathione, which is found abundantly in the lens, but its concentration diminishes with age. Antioxidant minerals are added to slow down the progression of cataracts and macular degeneration.

 8 Capsules contain the following amount.   

Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate)....................................7.500 I.U.
Vitamin A (beta carotene)......................................25.000 I.U.
Vitamin C......................................................................500 mg.
Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopheryl succinate)................400 I.U.
Thiamine ( vitamin B-1)...........................  ...................20 mg.
Riboflavin (vitamin B-2)...............................................25 mg.
Niacin (vitamin B-3)......................................................10 mg.
Niacinamide (vitamin B-3)............................................50 mg.
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5)..................................100 mg.
Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine HCL)......................................30 mg.
Folate (vitamin B-9, as folic acid)............................800 mcg.
Vitamin B-12 (cyanocobalamin)..................................50 mcg.
Calcium (as calcium citrate).......................................100 mg.
Phosphorus (as monopotassium phosphate)..........160 mg.
Magnesium (as magnesium citrate)...........................250 mg.
Zinc (as zinc picolinate)................................................50 mg.
Selenium (as seleno-l-methionine)..........................200 mcg.
Copper (as copper amino acid chelate)........................3 mg.
Potassium (as monopotassium phosphate)..............206 mg.
Raw Eye Concentrate....................................................70 mg.
Eyebright (Herb)...........................................................150 mg.
Bilberry Extract Powder (fruit)......................................40 mg.
N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)................................................250 mg.
Ginkgo Biloba Extract (24/6)..........................................60 mg.
Quercetin.......................................................................300 mg.
Taurine...........................................................................500 mg.
L-Methionine.................................................................200 mg.
L-Glutamic Acid...............................................................50 mg.
L-Glycine..........................................................................50 mg.
Lutein................................................................................30 mg.

Other ingredients: rice flour, vegetable stearate, gelatin.

CONTAINS  SOY