Macular Degeneration

The retina is the part of the eye that receives images from the environment around us. The images are then sent to the optic nerve and processed in the brain. (FYI, the brain then reacts to the information by sending said information down the spinal cord and out to the spinal nerves, to be used by the body in any capacity that is needed.) (Just thought I'd tie a little chiropractic in there). But, I digress. The macula is the most sensitive part of the retina. The macula is like the fine tune knob on a radio. It filters the image for us, making it more detailed. Deterioration of the macula is called macular degeneration and leads to central blindness, or the blindness of the visual field directly in front of you. Peripheral vision remains intact. Dry degeneration of the macula is a gradual breakdown of eye receptors. Wet degeneration is caused by leaking blood vessels in the eyes. There is no definite cause for macular degeneration, but it tends to occur in people over 70 years of age. For healthy eyes, or any other tissues in the body for that matter, it is important to consume foods high in anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants fight cell and tissue damage caused by a build-up of free radicals in the body. Free radicals are unstable molecules that damage organs, tissues and cells in the body. They come from pollutants, toxins and radiation. The build-up of free radicals in the eye may be a cause of macular degeneration according to the National Eye Institute. To combat these free radicals it is important to consume foods high in vitamin C, E, beta carotene and zinc. Diets made up around foods like sweet potatoes, spinach, watermelon, tomatoes, cherries, bell peppers, citrus fruit, avocados, nuts and seeds, olives, broccoli, lentils, peas, and wheat germ will ensure that your body is full of anti-oxidants to help battle the free radicals that may cause macular degeneration.

Thought for the Week and Chiropractic Thought for the Week:

"Most of you have had occasion to get a cut bad enough to go to the Emergency Room to get stitches, right?" Hands go up. "Remember what happened. They look at the cut, and wash it out. Then, they stitch it up, and put a sterile bandage on it. You then get a shot of tetanus toxoid in one arm, and a shot of penicillin in the other arm.

"You come back in ten days to get the stitches out. They take the bandage off. Lo, and behold! It’s healed! Another medical miracle!

"Try this experiment. Go home and take a steak out of the fridge. (In California, you may advise vegetarians to borrow a steak from a neighbor.) Take a sharp kitchen knife and make a cut in that steak. Take the cut steak over to the sink, and wash the cut out. Take some needle and thread, and sew up the cut. Put a sterile bandage on the cut. Give the steak a shot of tetanus toxoid and a shot of penicillin. What do you have... in ten days?"

Most will answer "A rotten steak." Ask if the cut in the steak has healed. After they answer "No, of course not," ask "What is the difference between you and the steak?" "Well, uh, uh, the steak is dead." You say "Of course, the difference is life. What this whole thing, Health, and Chiropractic, is all about, is how much life you express!" ------------ Don Harte, D.C.