Pre-Macular Degeneration

By cynwil1

1 min read

So I am 49 years old, female, I just recently had an eye exam in which I had a retina scan which showed about 20 macular drusen. I then when to a specialist and had a dilated eye exam and he said I had pre-macular degeneration.

Preventing AMD

My mom had AMD and was blind. He said there was nothing I could do from preventing myself from getting it, and that, either you get it or you don't.

Seeking others' advice and experiences

Are there any vitamins I can be taking? Can anybody weigh in on how long it took them to notice vision changes? Has anyone been this young and had it? Not that I feel that young.

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Andrea JungeMember
<p>Hello, <inline-mention user-id="3114947" username="cynwil1"/> ! First, I'd like to say you're definitely in the right place. Many of our community members are going through similar experiences that you are. AMD can definitely be genetic, so if your mom had it, there is a possibility that you will too. AMD is usually diagnosed a little later in life than 49 as the A stands for 'age related', though I see you were diagnosed with pre-macular degeneration. Though you can't always prevent the onset of this disease, there are definitely things you can do to try to help keep your eyes as healthy as possible and preserve the vision you do have. I'd recommend doing some research of your own (you can type specific words and phrases here using our search tool - like 'vitamins' or 'vision preservation' or even 'mental health')...and writing out any questions you may have for your retina specialist (If you don't have a retina specialist yet, you may want to consider seeing one as they specialize in macular degeneration). I'd also recommend simple things like wearing sunglasses and/or hats when outside to protect your retinas from the sun. Many people do take vitamins for macular degeneration, usually the AREDS formula and I will link a few articles here about that for you to read <a href='https://maculardegeneration.net/areds-vs-areds2' target='_blank'>https://maculardegeneration.net/areds-vs-areds2/</a> and <a href='https://maculardegeneration.net/living/vitamins-questions' target='_blank'>https://maculardegeneration.net/living/vitamins-questions/</a>. You can also receive eye-healthy nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin through your diet <a href='https://maculardegeneration.net/?s=lutein+and+xeazanthin' target='_blank'>https://maculardegeneration.net/?s=lutein+and+xeazanthin</a>. It's important to remember that with macular degeneration, we each experience symptoms differently and at different ages. However, taking care of your body and eyes before you start having symptoms can give your eyes their best shot at staying healthy for you. I hope this helps. Wishing you well and hoping you'll continue to reach out if we can help you further. -Andrea, <a href='https://maculardegeneration.net' target='_blank'>MacularDegeneration.net</a> Team Member</p>
Sharon MooreMember
<p><inline-mention username="cynwil1" user-id="3114947"/>, a few years has passed since your original post. Have you developed macular degeneration since your post? There has been some progress in treatments since 2020. Warm regards, Sharon Moore patient leader </p>