Page 6 - Eyes.pdf
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permanent relief of the symptoms                             About 1.75 million U.S. residents
     that can include burning, flaking,                            currently have advanced age-related
    crusting, tearing, irritation, itching, redness             macular degeneration with associated
    in eyelid margins and a foreign body                        vision loss, with that number expected to

    sensation.                                                  grow to almost 3 million by 2020.

    If you are diagnosed with chronic                           Take a test with Amsler Grid

    blepharitis, your eye doctor will likely
    recommend an ongoing regimen of eyelid                      Amsler Grid
    hygiene (see sidebar) that can include
                                                                How To Test Yourself With the Amsler
    commercially developed, over-the-counter
                                                                Grid
    lid scrubs or other recommended
                                                                If you need reading glasses, please wear
    cleansing agents. Eyelid hygiene is the
                                                                them while you use the Amsler grid. The
    cornerstone of treatment for most cases of
                                                                grid should be at about the same distance
    blepharitis.
                                                                from your eyes that any other reading

                                                                material would be. You may want to print
    Besides a program of eyelid hygiene, the
                                                                this page and then take the test.
    severity of the blepharitis and related
    symptoms may require supplemental
                                                                Cover one eye, and then focus on the dot
    treatment with topical and oral medicine.
                                                                in the center.

    Age-Related Macular Degeneration
    Age-related macular degeneration, often                     Ø Do any of the lines look wavy, blurred
                                                                     or distorted? (All lines should be
    called AMD or ARMD, is the leading cause
                                                                     straight, all intersections should form
    of vision loss and blindness among
                                                                     right angles and all the squares should
    Americans who are age 65 and older.
                                                                     be the same size.)
    Because people in this group are an
    increasingly larger percentage of the                       Ø Are there any missing areas or dark

    general population, vision loss from                             areas in the grid?
    macular degeneration is a growing                           Ø Can you see all corners and sides of
    problem.                                                         the grid?
                                                                Ø Don't forget to test both eyes.
    AMD is degeneration of the macula, which
    is the part of the retina responsible for the               VERY IMPORTANT: Report any

    sharp, central vision needed to read or                     irregularity to your eye doctor immediately.
    drive. Because the macula primarily is                      You can mark areas of the chart that
    affected in AMD, central vision loss may                     you're not seeing properly and bring it with
    occur.                                                      you to your eye exam chart that you're not
                                                                    seeing properly and bring it with you




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