Age Related Macular Degeneration

Roughly three million people in the United States suffer from glaucoma and the disease has actually impaired two million of those people. Glaucoma is the number one cause of blindness in the United States. Smoked marijuana does have properties that lower high internal eye pressure (intraocular pressure or IOP), alleviating the pain and slowing, sometimes stopping the damage to the eyes.

The consumption of cigarettes negatively impact the health of smokers and nonsmokers exposed. In this section we will focus in the negative heath effects of consumption in smokers. The consequences of tobacco consumption to the health appeared in the early twentieth century. there are published thousands of articles and reviews of this theme and show us that smoking is related with alterations in all organs and systems.

We have come a long way in terms of health care advancement since the 1900’s. We moved away from the spontaneous generation to evidence-based practice. We have made major stripes in all avenues, especially health promotion, healthy living, and prevention/control of diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking is the leading cause of heart diseases, stroke, respiratory diseases and certain forms of cancer. Over the past 50 years there has been various regulations and law in place to help control these smoking related diseases. Other measures include the limitation of smoking scene in movies, and other television programs. Also the cessation of smoking from public places has lessened the amount of people

Macular Degeneration is a disease of the eye that gradually causes loss of a person’s central vision. Approximately 1.75 million Americans suffer from vision loss associated with the disease (All About Vision 1). The leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 60, Macular Degeneration, exists in two types (National Eye Institute 1). Both the wet and dry versions of the disease have similarities in risk factors, but differ in symptoms and treatments.

Medical marijuana can also be used to treat and prevent the eye disease glaucoma, which can damage the optic nerve, by increased pressure of eyeball and causing loss of vision. According to the National Eye Institute: "Studies in the early 1970s showed that marijuana, when smoked, lowered intraocular pressure (IOP) in people with normal pressure and those with glaucoma." These effects of the drug may prevent blindness. Marijuana use also decreases the symptoms of a severe seizure disorder known as Dravet's Syndrome. THC may be able to slows the progression of Alzheimer's disease, a study led by Kim Janda of the Scripps Research Institute suggests. Another benefit of medical marijuana is that it relieves arthritis discomfort, by reducing inflammation, which may help

The research topic I will be introducing is Age-Related Macular Degeneration. This has been classified as a degenerative disorder that distresses the macula in one’s eye. AMD is unfortunately a common illness that individuals over 65 suffer from and that is a central cause vision loss. AMD doesn’t have a set disease pathway, in some individuals it advances slowly so that loss of vision does not arise for a long time. The disease can also advance much quicker and may lead to lack of vision in either or both eyes. The disease begins a blurry area near the center of one’s vision which grows larger and larger possibly causing a blank space in the eye (Boyd, 2013). Research is being done on AMD because it is a prevalent illness and has extreme consequences.

In this article, "EyeSee: Carrot naturalactives concentrate for eye health from Diana", Phillipe Saroner states "The maintenance of normal function of the eye is strongly dependent on the consumption of the antioxidant nutrients including hydrophobic carotids which must be transported in the blood"(22). Saroner discusses how maintaining our visual acuity throughout our life is a major concern of the entire population, and improving visual comfort has a significant impact on our quality of life. As a result, The intake of essential and specific nutrients ensuring the proper functioning of the eye has to be provided permanently in a practical way to easily complete the variations in nutritional intake of our diets. This source is helpful because

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness for people 60 years of age and older in the developed world. Vision loss is caused by the destruction of the cone photoreceptors, located in the macula, that are responsible for color/central vision. The underlying cause of AMD is the loss of the monolayer of pigmented epithelial cells located just below the photoreceptors, known as the retinal pigmentum epithelium (RPE). The main role of the RPE is to maintain the function of the photoreceptor layer by secreting nutrients, absorbing stray light, and recycling debris used during the visual cycle. As a person ages the efficiency of the RPE layer is diminished causing a build up of toxic by-products. These toxic build-ups, known as drusens, result in the separation and death of the photoreceptor and RPE layers. AMD is speculated to result from as many as 20 different genetic mutations and as a result there is no known cure for the disease (CITE), but recent advances in stem cell therapy is a hopeful step in the right direction.

Age-related macular degeneration also known as AMD is a disease leading to severe vision and legal blindness in the elderly population. I will address the health condition description and the disability and functional implications who suffer from this disease.

“Marijuana has been proven to lower IOP but only for a short period of time and at considerable risk to your overall health” (Turbert). When smoking marijuana the active ingredient THC in some way has been proven to lower eye pressure levels. “In 4 hours, the pressure-lowering effect of marijuana is gone. To maintain continuous control of IOP, avoiding unhealthy peaks and valleys, it would be necessary to smoke a joint about every 1 to 2 hours. That's several thousand cigarettes a year” (Scerra). Even though it may seem like a good idea to help lower the pressure in an eye it may not be the most effective way in treating glaucoma. Since glaucoma needs to be treated around the clock “you would need to smoke marijuana six to eight times a day around the clock to receive the benefit of a consistently lowered IOP” (Kern). Since, this drug has altering affects to the body it may not be the most appropriate of choices to use to help

Marijuana use can be used to treat and prevent the eye disease glaucoma, which increases pressure in the eyeball, damaging the optic nerve and causing loss of vision. Marijuana decreases the pressure inside the eye, according to the National Eye Institute "Studies in the early 1970s showed that marijuana, when smoked, lowered intraocular pressure in people with normal pressure and those with glaucoma."

As humans, we don't always see with our eyes, but often with our imagination (Grunwald, 2016). Often times as people we never realize how useful our vision really is to us. You really don't think about something like that until it would actual happen to you. Throughout this essay, you will learn how the body is affected by Macular Degeneration (MD). Different signs and symptoms, as well as the etiology of MD, will be discussed. In the following, diagnosis tests and treatments may also be listed in order to help others who would like to know more about MD. Not to mention, you will learn the incidence and progression of MD. Furthermore, information though agencies and associations, as well as new research about MD will be given.

This paper will discuss the relationship between the aging process and key diseases associated with aging. Examples of aging-associated diseases include cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases (López-Otín, Blasco, Partridge, Serrano, & Kroemer, 2013, p. 1194). Of these, we will discuss in-depth recent studies that have linked aging with Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. These diseases affect a significant proportion of the population over the age of 65 and place a considerable burden on the American health care system. Therefore, a better understanding of how they are related to aging and each other can result in the adoption of innovative treatments and declined risk for older adults.

Have you ever been in a room full of people who are smoking? Have you ever questioned why they would put their health as well as yours in jeopardy by smoking? Did you ever think smoking could be good for you? Peter Brimelow says just that in his article “Thank You for Smoking…?” In Brimlow’s article, he explains all the health benefits smoking can provide you. Such evidence as that of D.M Warbutton, a British researcher who said that smoking stimulates alertness, dexterity, and cognitive capacity(141). Citing a number of scientific journals, Brimlow has also found that smoking can reduce the risk of developing such diseases as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s,

Finally, the last prevention way is reducing the risk factor from getting the chronic disease. (Dr. Duke Johnson’s, 2009) For example smoking and alcohol can increase the risk factor to get the diseases. As we know, each cigarette contains about 200 chemical compounds that can damages our heart and blood vessels plus the smoke is not only attack the smoker but also people around him. So, we should strictly avoid smoking because it