Retinal Health Education Part 1
- posted: Jun. 23, 2020
Hey everyone it’s Dr. B back with another health and wellness tip. Today I’m going to talk a little bit about the health of the retina, specifically the macula, which is responsible for central vision. So whenever we’re staring at something – like if I’m staring right at the camera – that’s the part of the retina that we’re using. It’s pretty important because central vision – that’s really where we get our detail anytime we’re focused on anything.
In order to preserve the health and provide the maximum nutrition possible for the macula, there are certain vitamin supplements – some are great some are questionable, and so I’d like to go over the different types for the different purposes.
The sun is one of the biggest causes of damage to our retinas, our maculas and our eyes in general and also to a certain degree from blue light emitted from digital devices – are a couple of reasons why are our maculas can break down over time and then we can actually lose the quality of our vision. Generally it happens later on in life, but it can happen earlier. There is a big genetic component so if there’s a family history of macular degeneration or retinal disease that would be a main reason to start an eye supplement for sure.
Supplements can reduce the risk of progression of macular disease. They do help, but it’s definitely not a cure a treatment for macular degeneration. Really, all we’ve got is our diet, and protecting our eyes from harmful radiation. The nutrients that give the pigment layer of the macula specifically what it needs is called zeaxanthin and lutein, and to certain extent, vitamin C vitamin A, and antioxidants like that. But zeaxanthin and lutein are the two main components.
Learn about macular degeneration and what we can do about it in our next chapter, Retinal Health Part 2.