SOS Augenlicht e.V.

Organization to maintain and further
vision at Macular Degeneration

Over 3,000 patients' experiences assessed ...

Macular Degeneration

Everything patients should know about Macular Degeneration

Macular - Topics

Risk Cataract OP at Macular Degeneration.Macular Degeneration at energy saving bulbs?Vitamins & Nutrition: Chance or Danger?Macular Degeneration & Sports

Sun light causes Macular Degeneration?!

Blind through smoking at Macular Degeneration?PC-Work should cause Macular Degeneration?

Makular - Therapies (dry & wet)

Macular-Therapy by Hancke Lucentis, Avastin, Macugen Acupuncture by Boel Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)Lutein

Alternative Medicine better
than conventional medicine?

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Assessment of over 3,000 patient experiences with conventional and alternative medicine at dry and wet macular degeneration. Incl. success, risks, costs, addresses...

Macular Degeneration & Sunlight

Is sunlight a danger for people suffering from macular degeneration?

Between 50 and 60 million people go on holidays each year in Germany. Especially at the beginning of the holiday season is concerned with macular degeneration to contact our association. Simply want to know if they are to take in the mountains or at sea special arrangements to her eyesight in existing macular degeneration, not to further endanger. More and more of those affected have heard that the light from the sun is supposed to represent a serious risk to her eyesight.

In order to give macular degeneration patients the best possible information, SOS has research and the results compiled here for you.

Is Sunlight basically a risk for your eyes?

The sunlight, it brings joy of life and has a positive effect on the whole body, as long as it is "in moderation". Too high a dosage is definitely harmful to the eyes: So were following a solar eclipse in 1912 in Germany alone, 3,000 people are treated around the eyes, because they had looked too long in the sun. One tenth retained permanent damage to his eye back.

For the eyes may already be the normal sunlight a danger, especially if one is present on inputs by macular degeneration.

The eye specialist Professor Dr. Mathias Zirm explains: "The visible, as well as high-energy blue light can cause long term high intensity to diseases of the retina such as age-related retinal degeneration (macular degeneration)."
""The importance of an optimized light protection of the eyes is still not penetrated the general consciousness of the people," laments chemist and eye expert Professor Siegfried HÃƒÂ¼nig of the WÃƒÂ¼rzburg University.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that this is leading to some 20 percent of blindness in one eye damage by UV light back

What do studies say on the relationship between sunlight and macular degeneration?

A few years ago ran the University of Wisconsin an extensive study on sunlight and macular degeneration. This showed that patients who were very much in the sun, one had double the risk of disease, in an age-related macular degeneration. For patients who regularly wore hats, caps and sunglasses, halved the risk of macular degeneration in turn.
(Archives of Ophthalmology, 2004; 122: 750-757)

In the European Eye Study underwent 4753 over 65 years of trial participants to interview their lifetime sunlight exposure and a thorough ophthalmologic examination. When the study participants showed very low blood antioxidant level (vitamin C and E, zinc, zeaxanthin), a clear association found between exposure to blue light and the eye disease. Clear conclusion: sunglasses and healthy diet, is the motto for people who want to see in old age for a long time well. (Astrid E. Fletcher et al. Arch Ophthalmol 2008; 126: 1396-1403 MTD, Issue 4 / 2009 p. 4.)

It goes on the press: "pale blue eyes are also highly vulnerable, blind white-skinned people is ten times as often by macular degeneration such as dark-skinned."
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Do you need to be careful in the mountains or at the ocean?

Anyone who has a macular degeneration biased eyes, should protect themselves with particular intensity. Especially in the mountains, skiing, or on the water in sunny areas is particularly dangerous. Here, increased solar radiation and additional reflections even easier and faster long-term cause damage to the eye and thus likely influence the course of macular degeneration negative.

Here are some examples:

Water reflects up to 30 percent of the light.
Snow reflects up to 85 percent of the light.
Greenery on the other hand, only 6 percent.
Per 1,000 meters the radiation increases by up to 20 percent.

How can I protect myself and my by macular degeneration affected retina sufficiently?

There are new findings about the composition of light and its effect on the human eye and specifically to the progress of macular degeneration:

Filter In healthy adults, the cornea and the lens a high proportion of the UVA and UVB rays from the sun. The macula filters out even further from one part of the visible, short wavelength light.
Some studies suggest that intense light exposure can damage the retina permanently. In particular it is pointed out that visible, blue, short-wavelength light can have on possibly toxic reaction related macular degeneration sufferers.
Special experiments have shown that both the invisible light (UV radiation) that is also visible, blue light can damage the retina significantly. For long exposure time, even Toxic reactions were observed in of the retina. The risk of developing macular degeneration increases.
It is believed that especially so-called photodynamic when triggered by light exposure, oxidative processes to a metabolic disorder (problems with the disposal of metabolic waste) involved in the retinal area. Through the clash of sunlight and oxygen in the eye, therefore, a metabolic disorder is triggered. The resulting deposits themselves are toxic and lead to the death of retinal cells. They say a metabolic disorder that can be called to deposits under the retina (the retina and drusen lead) and loss of function, the age-related macular degeneration can cause short AMD.

In summary, there seems to be a good recommendation to protect themselves from long and intense solar radiation, at least to prevent macular degeneration. Even on days with little sun seems to be a strain of the macula to be possible. Especially on the water or in the mountains Special precautions should be taken.

Whether it can definitely lead to strong sunlight-related macular degeneration, can not finally say with certainty. Festivities are to appear, however, that favor too much sunlight damages the retina, macular degeneration and macular problems, at least. For an existing macular degeneration, it is therefore imperative to adequately protect themselves from sun exposure.

What should you look for when buying sun protection?

If one wants to protect his eyes effectively with existing macular degeneration with a pair of sunglasses, you should consider a quality mark. The Trustees Association says Good vision, sunglasses that offer only a CE mark for sufficient protection against UV-400 radiation. It says that this shows CE marking, that the UV-protective glasses when the basic safety requirements are met from European directives.

Further tips for sun protection:

Protection from UV light and blue light is useful for medical reasons
Wearing of a hat reduces the UV exposure by only ca 50%
Sunglasses with UV-A and UV-B protection is recommended
With increased sun exposure (beach, snow) sun glasses with 100% UVA / UVB protection and side shields should be worn.
Just as important is the frame of spectacles. It states: "Recent studies show that come with many glasses of up to 60 percent of unfiltered light in the eye, although the glasses should actually filter out most of it. The reason: the rays come in from the sides, because the frame is not in place . And this is doubly unfortunate. For, due to the tinted glasses of the pupils are more open than usual, so they decoy readily to the side of light entering the retina."