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Monday, 2 November 2020, 10:20 amPress Release: Macular Degeneration New Zealand

49% of New Zealanders do not know anything aboutmacular degeneration which puts them at risk of missingkey signs in their own eye health

Thecondition is the most common cause of blindness but someforms are treatable if caught intime

Today marks the start of MacularDegeneration Awareness Week 2-9 November which aims toeducate New Zealanders about the simple steps they can taketo protect their vision

Its a conditionthat affects 1 in 7 New Zealanders aged 50+, rising to aquarter of those aged over 80, yet awareness of maculardegeneration is low, with almost half (49%) revealing theydo not know anything about the condition.

This is aproblem as early detection and treatment can reduceavoidable vision loss for the 1,500,000 New Zealanders atrisk.

The macula is the central part of the retina atthe back of the eye. The retina processes vision, andmacular degeneration causes progressive macula damage,leading to issues such as a loss of reading, recognisingfaces, and being able to drive. There are two types ofmacular degeneration, dry and wet. Dry macular degenerationresults in gradual loss of central vision. Wet maculardegeneration is characterised by a sudden loss of visioncaused by abnormal blood vessels growing under the retina.Immediate medical treatment of wet macular degeneration isessential for saving sight.

During awareness week acampaign by the charity to highlight what New Zealandersrisk losing if they dont take their eye health seriously,will feature on billboards across Auckland, Hamilton,Wellington and Christchurch. The posters show beautifulviews of New Zealand, obscured by a dark blur to show whatthe same vista might look like to someone suffering frommacular degeneration.

Phillippa Pitcher, GeneralManager at Macular Degeneration NZ says, Sadly maculardegeneration is not uncommon and the risks increase as weage. It is important that all New Zealanders aged 40+ gettheir eyes checked regularly but also crucially know thesigns to look out for so they can monitor their own eyehealth and get any abnormalities checked out quickly. Wehope that by raising awareness of the condition and thesigns to look out for we avoid future cases of needlessvision loss. Early detection and prompt treatment savessight.

Key signs to look out for when monitoringyour own eye health include;

Asimple test, available via the MDNZ website and youroptometrist, can lead to early diagnosis and treatment ofmacular degeneration, the most common cause ofblindness.

Visit http://www.mdnz.org.nz to findout more about macular degeneration including tips forstaying healthy and signs to look out for as well as eventstaking place during Macular Degeneration Awareness Week 2020 2-9 November.

Case studies are available onrequest.

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Raising Awareness For Macular Degeneration, The Condition That Affects 1 In 7 Aged 50+ - Scoop.co.nz

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