As you get older, your eye health can worsen and put you at risk for vision loss. To protect you from the complications of age-related diseases, like macular degeneration, the optometry team at Swift Creek Eye Center in Midlothian, Virginia, offers on-site diagnostic evaluation technology. The staff is the only team in the Richmond, Virginia, area to provide the innovative MPOD system to identify your risk factors for macular degeneration. Find out more about the many benefits of early intervention for macular degeneration with MPOD by calling Swift Creek Eye Center today.
Macular Degeneration Q & A
What is macular degeneration?
Macular degeneration is an age-related disease of the eye that causes the deterioration of the central part of your retina, known as the macula. This area provides you with your central vision, and when it begins breaking down, you experience a progressive worsening of your vision.
In the earliest stages, signs of macular degeneration include:
- Blurred vision
- Seeing wavy lines
- Difficulties reading and driving
Without treatment, macular degeneration can lead to blindness. Age-Related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness in adults. Once you develop the disease, the symptoms are irreversible, and there’s no cure.
How is macular degeneration diagnosed?
The Swift Creek Eye Center staff is the only team in the Richmond, Virginia, area to offer the noninvasive macular pigment optical density (MPOD) test. This screening tool allows your provider the opportunity to identify your risk factors for age-related macular degeneration.
MPOD testing evaluates the lutein and zeaxanthin levels in your eyes, which are essential because of their ability to block sunlight and blue light waves of energy, which can trigger eye damage and diseases like macular degeneration. The higher your MPOD number, the more capable your eyes are at recovering from blue light or blinding light exposure.
What’s involved in MPOD testing?
The MPOD test takes less than five minutes. Your Swift Creek Eye Center provider starts you out with a series of practice scans before you take the actual test.
After evaluating your results, your provider discusses them with you. Depending on your risk factors for macular degeneration, they may recommend dietary changes that help you improve your supply of lutein and zeaxanthin naturally.
Good sources of these nutrients include foods like:
- Parsley
- Kale
- Spinach
- Celery
- Collard Greens
As you increase your intake of these nutrient-rich foods, the Swift Creek Eye Center team can reevaluate your lutein and zeaxanthin levels through additional MPOD screenings.
What treatments are available for macular degeneration?
Unfortunately, once the effects of macular degeneration begin affecting your vision, the changes are permanent and irreversible. There’s no cure for macular degeneration, but through early intervention using the MPOD technologies, you can reduce your risk factors for the disease and the permanent loss of your vision.
To learn more about the benefits of MPOD testing, call Swift Creek Eye Center today.