Clinton Township Newsletter

1 9 F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 0 Macular Degeneration damages central vision, limiting a person's ability to read and recognize faces Make sure you don't miss out on the details of your life. New testing is available to diagnose, treat and preserve vision. F e b R U a R y i s m a C U l a R d e G e n e R at i o n a Wa R e n e s s m o n t h a n d 2 0 2 0 i s t h e y e a R o F V i s i o n ! By Jaime Blyskal Marcolini, OD Age-related macular degeneration, AMD or ARMD, is a deterioration of the macula. This impairment affects seeing people's faces, watching TV, driving and reading. AMD is most common among the older caucasian population, affecting more than 14 percent of white Americans age 80 and older. The dry form is more common than the wet form. The wet form of the disease usually leads to more serious vision loss. Currently, the best way to protect your eyes from developing early (dry) macular degeneration is to eat a healthy diet, exercise and wear sunglasses that protect your eyes from the sun's UV and blue light. Age-related macular degeneration symptoms and signs: Age-related macular degeneration usually produces a slow, painless loss of vision. In rare cases, however, vision loss can be sudden. Early signs of vision loss from AMD are wavy or shadowy areas in your central vision. Later in the disease, there is difficulty acclimating from a bright area to a dark area. Eye doctors often detect early signs of macular degeneration before symptoms occur. This is accomplished through a retinal exam, Maculogix Testing, which tests the function of the photoreceptors and Macular Pigment Density Testing. Common risk factors for developing macular degeneration include: • Aging. AMD increases with age. • Obesity. Overweight patients with macular degeneration had more than double the risk of developing advanced forms of macular degeneration compared with people of normal body weight. • Heredity. Variants of different genes are present in most people who have macular degeneration. • Smoking. Smoking and second hand smoke are major risk factors. • Lighter eye color. More common in Caucasian populations, particularly in people with light skin color and eye color. • Low Macular Pigment Density (MPOD) – measure of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin in the macula. For more information about eyecare, please contact Clinton Family Eyecare located at 186 Center Street, Suite 170 in Clinton, by calling: 908.735.5712, or visit: www.ClintonFamilyEyecare.com. Oriental Rug Specialist Since 1934 Sale & Service of Oriental Rugs & Carpets t h e n o R t h h U n t e R d o n t h e a t R e o R G a n i z a t i o n p R e s e n t s : B y e B y e B i r d i e ! North Hunterdon Theatre Organization is proud to present the classic musical Bye Bye Birdie, showing Friday, 2/28 at 7:00 pm, Saturday, 2/29 at 7:00 pm, and Sunday, 3/1 at 2:00 pm at North H u n t e r d o n H i g h School! When a 1950's pop star named Conrad Birdie gets drafted, his managers decide it would be good for his publicity to give "One Last Kiss" to the President of his fan club, Kim MacAfee. But will Conrad and his entourage m i x w i t h t h e r e s i d e n t s of Kim's hometown, the m i d d l e A m e r i c a - b a s e d Sweet Apple, Ohio? Join us as we travel back to the days of poodle skirts, jukeboxes, and Elvis to see how the story plays out! Enjoy such classic songs as "The Telephone Hour", "An English Teacher", and "Put On a Happy Face". Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Handicap seating is available. Purchase tickets online by emailing: NHTOtickets@gmail. com or come one-half hour before curtain time any of the performance dates. We look forward to seeing you there! Become a Friend of The Clinton Guild! Do you LOVE Downtown Clinton and want to help? The Guild of Clinton, a not-for-profit group, promotes the shopping, dining, services and culture of historic downtown Clinton and all it has to offer to residents and visitors. Call: 908.735.4020 and say, "I want to help the Guild!" www.VisitClintonNJ.com "You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally beer than your dreams." ~ Dr. Seuss

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