Guide to Age-related Macular Degeneration

With over 7,000 people newly-diagnosed with Age-related Macular Degeneration, or AMD, each year, footballing legend Ronnie Whelan  is supporting Fighting Blindness’ with the launch of their new Guide to AMD for people affected by the condition, and their loved ones. AMD is the most common cause of sight loss in people over the age of 50 in Ireland and it’s estimated that seven per cent of Irish people over 50 years of age are living with AMD. The number of people affected by AMD is expected to reach 288 million globally by 2040, however, it is important to underline that many of these cases can be managed through early diagnosis and monitoring. Copies of the Guide, which was developed with the support of Bayer, are available by contacting Fighting Blindness by telephone at 01 678 9004 or by email at info@fightingblindness.ie.

Amongst the special guests speaking at the launch were Prof. Matthew Campbell, an AMD researcher at Trinity College Dublin, as well as Pat O’Donoghue and John Leonard, who live with AMD and are both members of the MIST (Macular Impairment Support and Togetherness) support group.

Launching the Guide, Ireland and Liverpool footballing legend, Ronnie Whelan, commented:
“AMD is the leading cause of sight loss in people aged over 50, which is why it is important to provide accurate and clear information, especially for the people who might be just recently diagnosed. I am delighted to lend my support to this project and raise awareness of this condition and this new resource available.”

For Prof. David Keegan, UCD Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology & Retina, and Fighting Blindness board member, it is important that people diagnosed with AMD stay positive about the future:
“This Guide provides a very useful explanation to those who have been newly-diagnosed with AMD, or who have family members with the condition. While hearing mention of AMD for the first time can be scary, it is important to stay positive and be aware that most people with AMD maintain reasonable vision. Even in advanced cases, patients retain peripheral vision and are still able to continue most of their day-to-day activities. It is also important to note that in certain types of AMD, we can treat degeneration with intra-ocular injections and they are very successful if given on time. There are many supports available to optimise visual function, from magnifiers to reading devices to phone apps, and people can be hopeful that there are new treatments being developed all the time that we anticipate will have a very positive impact in delaying the onset of sight loss and in reducing its severity.”

Kevin Whelan, Chief Executive of Fighting Blindness, is urging people who are over 50 years of age, and not only those who have a family history of AMD, to have an eye examination every two years:
“While this Guide is a very welcome resource for people with AMD, it is important to remember that there are steps that we can all take to reduce our risk of developing AMD or to secure an early diagnosis so that remedial steps can be taken. It is important that we reduce our risk of AMD and also catch it early so that we can stave off its worst effects and indeed stabilise or improve vision. That is why we encourage everyone over 50, and not only those with a family history of AMD, to have an eye examination every two years.”

Download Guide to AMD 
 

For more information on the work of Fighting Blindness, visit www.fightingblindness.ie.

For more information on the MIST support group for people affected by AMD, visit www.mistsupportgroup.wordpress.com

11^th December 2018