Importance of Getting Screened for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Visiting your Calgary optometrist regularly, especially as you get older, is key to detecting and managing age-related eye conditions, such as cataracts and AMD. Our Calgary optometrists serve the Crowfoot and surrounding areas and can help keep your vision clear and comfortable as you age.


Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that causes deterioration of the macula, the small central area of the retina. While it doesn’t lead to total vision loss, this eye condition does affect your central vision, making it difficult to do every day activities such as read, write, and drive.

Some of the risk factors associated with AMD include:

  • Age
  • Genetics
  • Obesity and/or inactivity
  • High blood pressure
  • Smoking

Our Calgary Optometrists Can Help Keep Your Vision Clear

At Blink Eyewear, our Calgary optometrists serve many different areas, including Crowfoot, to help keep our patients’ vision clear and comfortable. We offer a wide range of family vision services, including children’s eye exams, cataract management, and glaucoma testing, to protect your eye health and prevent vision loss.

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Early Signs of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: What to Watch Out For

If you are in the early stages of age-related macular degeneration, you may not have any symptoms. That’s why visiting your optometrist regularly for eye exams is critical, especially if you are at risk for this eye condition.

During an AMD check, your eye doctor will look at the back of your eye to identify any early symptoms of the condition. This will allow you to get treatment as soon as possible, preventing any vision loss.

Some of the early signs of AMD include:

  • Difficulty reading or doing other activities that require fine vision
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Decreased night vision
  • Poor colour sensitivity
  • Increased need for illumination
  • Vision distortion where straight lines appear wavy or bent
  • Dark patches near the centre of your vision

NEVER Ignore Vision Changes

However small it may seem, you should NEVER ignore changes to your vision. If you notice something is wrong, you should visit your Calgary optometrist straight away for a check up.

Remember: Early detection is key to saving your sight. For both wet and dry AMD, the earlier the diagnosis is made, the faster steps can be taken to slow down the progression of the disease. Delayed treatment will only increase the likelihood of vision loss.

MACULAR DEGENERATION


How Does an Optometrist Check For AMD?

There is no cure for AMD, so one of the most important steps in managing the disease is getting an early diagnosis. During the checkup, your eye doctor will use a series of tests to make a diagnosis, including:

  1. Visual acuity test: You’ll read letters from an eye chart, which will measure how well you see at different distances.
  2. Dilated eye exam: Your eye doctor will place drops in your eyes that will widen your pupils. This will allow them to check the back of your eye to detect if there are any problems.
  3. Amsler grid test: You’ll look at a series of grid lines to determine if you have any distortion to your central vision.
  4. Fluorescein angiogram: Your optometrist may put a dye in your eye that will allow him/her to see if any blood vessels in your eye are leaking.


Importance of Regular Eye Exams and Quick Treatment

In as little as 3 months, wet AMD can cause scarring and rob you of your central vision if you don’t receive prompt and proper treatment. The sooner you are diagnosed, the more likely it is that your vision will be preserved.


Call Today

To find out more about our vision services and how our Calgary optometrists can help protect your eye health and keep your vision clear and comfortable, visit one of our three branches, Crowfoot (67 Crowfoot Terrace NW, T3G 4J8), West Springs (1009 873 85 St SW, T3H 0J5) or Creekside (12192 Symons Valley Rd NW, T3P 0A3).

Alternatively, you can contact our team at our Crowfoot Branch (403-547-5417), West Springs (403-242-0999) or Creekside (403-516-2292).

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Blink Eyewear boasts the largest collection of eyewear in Calgary, but our 3 locations are also home to the region’s finest optometrists. Just as you will not find a better store to shop for your eyewear, you will not find a better vision clinic to do your eye exam or treat your eye condition. 

Go ahead and Blink; what you see is really what you get. Call one of our store numbers or fill out the form below to book an appointment.

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