Macular Pucker or Eye Cellophaning
Well I went for my eye exam. I told the doctor I had cleared the proparacaine and he said he didn't have to use it. They use that for the anesthetic when they do the glaucoma test. He did it without it and it was fine. But he said it's a good thing to not be allergic to that because you never know when you might have to use it in an emergency, etc.
I have been having two problems with my eyes. The first I have noticed when I'm using the computer. A litle dark spot in my vision. That symptom sent me running for my Amsler Grid to test for macular degeneration. As I mentioned before both my mother and grandmother had that. When I checked it at home I didn't see anything, but when I was in his office the lines seemed a little wavy on top from my left eye.
He tested my eyes and said the macula looks fine. But he did see something called cellophaning in that eye, which can also cause wavering lines on the grid. It's also called a macular pucker, a cellophane-like membrane that forms over the macula.
I had a visual field test and he said I saw every light so that was a relief. I'm seeing O.K. and my field of vision is O.K.
The other problem is something that has been happening for about a month. A little place in the middle of my vision that kind of wavers. Then it goes away. It's very weird. Lately it's been every morning when I get up. Anyway, I have to go to a retina specialist to have it all evaluated, see if there is a connection between the two, etc. It never seems to end. And eye stuff scares me. Possible eye surgery? That REALLY scares me! I didn't think I would be having eye problems this early.
I'm getting new glasses and also ordered some computer glasses. I've been needing those for years.
Posted by elizabeth | Filed under: Allergies
There is a lot you can do naturally to strengthen your retina and help preserve vision. Below is some information on macular degeneration, but this may also apply to macular pucker as well as we consider both conditions related to poor circulation in the retina and a lack of essential nutrients.
Research is proving that macular degeneration can be very responsive to nutritional supplementation. A large research study from Harvard showed that even supplementing with 6 mg of lutein per day could reduce your likelihood of getting macular degeneration by 57% (Seddon, J.M., U.A. Ajani, et al. (1994). “Dietary carotenoid, vitamins A, C, E, and advanced age-related macular degeneration. Eye Disease Case-Control Study Group Jama 272(18):1413-20). That same study showed that the specific carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are primarily obtained from dark green leafy vegetables, were most strongly associated with a reduced risk for AMD. Individuals consuming the highest levels of carotenoids had a statistically significant 43% lower risk for AMD. The AREDS study showed that supplementing with a combination of betacarotene, vitamins C and E, zinc and copper could significantly reduce the chances of dry macular degeneration turning to wet macular degeneration.
So there certainly are preventative measures you can take. Additional beneficial nutrients include omega-3 fatty acids, taurine, vitamins A and E, selenium, zinc copper, beta-carotene, gingko biloba.
For those with macular degeneration, research has shown that this is a condition that can be very responsive to specific nutritional supplementation (lutein, zeaxanthin, taurine, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A and E, selenium, beta-cartoene, zinc and copper to name a few), diet and lifestyle. Also, microcurrent stimulation done daily at home along with specific supplementation can be very effective in helping protect against vision loss. The last research study done by a Dr. Ed Paul showed that 73% of the people who did microcurrent stimulation daily along with specific supplementation showed improved vision up to 2-3 lines on the eye chart. As a result of this study, there are now 4 double blind FDA approved studies starting (including one at New York Eye & Ear Infirmiary) studying the benefits of the microcurrent stimulation for macular degeneration along with some other retinal dystrophies. For more information and related research studies, you can go to http://www.naturaleyecare.com/diseases.asp?d_num=8 -- you can also read the specific research studies on microcurrent stimulation and macular degeneration at http://www.naturaleyecare.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=1545
For questions and answers, you can also go to our blog on natural eye care at http://www.bulletinboards.com/message.cfm?comcode=nec2