Age-Related Macular Degeneration and the Gut Connection

With so many people spending their days on a computer and their evenings scrolling through a phone or binging streaming services, dry, bleary eyes are increasingly common. 

But what happens if your eye symptoms signal something more serious?

While it’s normal for your vision to get slightly weaker as you age, some conditions are more concerning than others. This includes age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a progressive eye disease that affects many older adults. 

Luckily, an AMD diagnosis doesn’t have to be a life sentence. With the proper care and a few lifestyle tweaks, you can protect your vision and slow the progression of AMD. 

Let’s explore AMD, its most common symptoms, and the practical steps you can take to improve your eye health. 

What Is Age-Related Macular Degeneration? 

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that gets progressively worse over time. 

AMD occurs when your macula, the central part of your retina, wears down (degenerates). 

• Your retina is the back part of your eyeball. It’s the part of your eye that allows you to see what’s directly in front of you. 
• Your macula is the central part of your retina. It allows you to see the details that are in your retina’s central vision. 

While AMD doesn’t usually lead to complete blindness, it can cause serious vision problems. 

It’s also incredibly common. In fact, AMD is the number one cause of severe, permanent loss of vision in people over the age of 50. Overall, about 10% of the U.S. population is affected by AMD. 

Could AMD affect your vision? Let’s look at some of the symptoms you may experience with this condition.

Types of AMD

There are 2 types of AMD, wet and dry. Dry AMD is much more common, representing about 90% of diagnoses.

Dry AMD

Dry AMD develops when yellow protein deposits, known as drusen, form in your macula. 

At first, this may not affect your vision. But as the drusen grow in number and size, they can impair your vision. 

If enough drusen build up, they can cause extreme vision issues.

Dry AMD can vary greatly from person to person. It may never progress enough to impair your vision. But, it can also cause a complete loss of your central vision.

In some cases, dry AMD can also lead to wet AMD. 

Wet AMD

Wet AMD occurs when your body creates abnormal blood vessels in your macula. These blood vessels can leak fluid or blood into your retina, quickly causing issues with your central vision. 

Over time, the bleeding from these blood vessels can create scarring and a permanent loss of central vision. 

This condition is much less common, affecting only about 10% of people with AMD. 

Unlike dry AMD, which can have early stages in which it’s barely noticeable, wet AMD is almost always seen in advanced stages. 

Stages of AMD

AMD typically develops over three stages. 

Early AMD

If you’re in this stage of AMD, you won’t be experiencing any symptoms. However, your eye doctor should still be able to recognize the signs, so it’s important to go for regular vision check-ups, especially if you’re over the age of 50.  

Intermediate AMD

In this stage, you may start to see some very mild symptoms. This could include blurry vision or trouble seeing at night. You may also have no symptoms yet. 

Late AMD

During this stage, you will likely experience some—or all, in more serious cases—of these vision impairments: 

• Straight lines appear wavy
• Blurry spots in the center of your vision, which may expand or worsen
• Colors appear different
• It’s difficult to see in dim lighting 

Dry AMD can be in any of these 3 stages; wet AMD almost always shows up in the late stage.

Symptoms of AMD

AMD usually progresses slowly. 

Although your doctor should be able to see changes in your macula, you might not notice any signs of AMD until your vision is impaired. 

Here are some signs that AMD might be affecting your vision. 

• Blank spots in your vision
• Blurry vision
• Changes in color perception
• Dark, blurry spots in the center of your vision
• Difficulty driving, reading fine print, or recognizing faces
• Difficulty seeing in low light
• Straight lines appear wavy
• Worsening vision, overall

These symptoms may be present in one or both eyes. 

If you notice any of these signs, see an eye specialist for a proper diagnosis. Your doctor will dilate your pupils and examine your retina for signs of macular degeneration.

Who Is at Risk for AMD? 

AMD can affect anyone, but there are some groups who are at a higher risk. 

• Non-Hispanic white Europeans, followed by people with Hispanic, Black, and Asian ethnicity
• People over the age of 75 are roughly 15x more likely to experience AMD than people in their 50’s. 
• Women have a slightly higher risk of developing AMD than men, possibly because of their longer life spans. 

These other factors could also raise your risk of developing AMD: 

• Eating a diet high in saturated fats
• High blood pressure
• Obesity
• Smoking

Some risk factors are out of your control, such as age, gender, and ethnicity. But others are in your power to manage, allowing you to play an active role in maintaining your eye health.

Surprisingly, one way you can manage your eye health is by managing your gut health. 

Let’s take a closer look at this connection. 

How Your Gut Health Impacts AMD

Believe it or not, the key to your eye health may lie in a different part of your body: your gut. 

Recent studies link the gut microbiome to an increasing number of diseases, including those that affect your vision. 

Comparing the gut microbiota of patients with AMD and a control group showed significant differences in gut bacteria. The findings indicate that improving the gut microbiome could also lower the risk of developing AMD or slow its progression. 

One of the ways this can occur is through inflammation. 

Your gut houses beneficial (“good”) bacteria and pathogenic (“bad”) bacteria. The overgrowth of pathogenic bacterial colonies leaves less space in your gut for beneficial bacteria, an imbalance known as dysbiosis.

Interestingly, your gut is also home to about 70–80% of your immune system. When your gut microbiome is healthy and strong, it supports your immune function.

Dysbiosis, however, can compromise your immune health. Amongst other conditions, it can lead to inflammation, which studies have linked to eye diseases, including AMD.

Wet AMD, the most advanced version of AMD, is particularly shown to be related to chronic inflammation.

Clearly, a healthy gut can support healthy eyes. 

But what else can you do to protect yourself from AMD? 

Lowering Your Risk for AMD

Unfortunately, at this time, there is no cure for AMD. 

However, there are some things you can do to slow its progression and avoid significant damage to your vision. 

Improve Your Gut Health

First and foremost, your gut health influences every part of your overall well-being, and that includes your eyes. 

So what can you do to make sure you have a healthy gut? 

Taking a quality spore probiotic is an essential first step. 

Remember how we talked about the importance of beneficial bacteria for avoiding dysbiosis? 

Probiotics contain bacterial strains that are similar or identical to the beneficial bacteria that are already in your gut. When you take probiotic supplements, they lend their numbers and strength to those colonies of beneficial bacteria, helping to balance your gut microbiome in favor of the good guys.

We love and recommend Just Thrive Probiotic. It contains four potent spore-based strains that promote your well-being, support healthy immune function, and maintain your microbial balance.

And, because they are spore probiotics, they are naturally equipped with a thick endospore “armor” that protects them as they make their way through your digestive system, so they arrive 100% alive and ready to get to work! (The majority of other probiotics cannot survive the perils of this journey.) 

Along with taking a probiotic supplement, here are some other things you can do to improve your gut health. 

• Get plenty of sleep. If you have sleep issues, don’t worry! Just Thrive Probiotic can also improve sleep quality. 
• Eat a healthy whole foods diet that includes probiotic and prebiotic foods for extra gut support.
• Reduce stress, which can negatively affect your microbiome through the gut-brain axis. 
• Exercise regularly–it plays a significant role in your gut health.

Take the Right Vitamins

Certain vitamins and supplements can help protect your vision. 

The National Eye Institute conducted an extensive study of eye diseases, including AMD. This study, called the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), showed that some nutrients can protect your vision, especially in intermediate or late AMD.  

More recent studies updated these findings, now known as AREDS 2. 

AREDS 2 supplements include the following. 

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Copper
• Zinc
• Lutein
• Zeaxanthin

Eat a Healthy Diet

Choosing the right foods can also give you the nutrients you need to protect your vision. 

Studies show that the Mediterranean Diet is especially effective in slowing the progression of AMD. 

To follow a Mediterranean diet, focus on these foods. 

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Lentils and beans
• Nuts
• Whole grains
• Fish
• Poultry and fish
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Moderate amounts of cheese and yogurt
• Little or no red meat, butter, sugar, 

Avoid Smoke

Smoke is one of the risk factors for AMD. 

Stop smoking and avoid being around second-hand smoke, for the sake of your eye health—and your overall health. 

Maintain a Healthy Weight

As we mentioned earlier, obesity is one of the risk factors for AMD. Accordingly, managing your weight is a crucial part of lowering your risk of AMD or slowing its progression.  

Eating a healthy diet is the first step.

Regular exercise can also help you maintain your weight. 

• Aim for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week. This may include brisk walking, swimming, biking, or heavier housework such as deep cleaning or gardening. 
• Strength train with weights, resistance bands, or bodyweight exercises twice a week. 

Also, make sure you’re getting enough sleep, between 7 and 9 hours per night.

When you’re short on sleep, you’re more likely to experience cravings for sweet treats and over-processed snacks. 

Plus, too little sleep can cause higher cortisol levels, slowing your metabolic rate and causing you to gain weight.

And again, be sure you are taking care of your gut health. An overgrowth of pathogens in your gut sets you up for a vicious cycle of craving and eating more of the food that isn’t good for you. 

Final Thoughts

Experiencing changes in your vision due to AMD can be both challenging and overwhelming. The fear of losing your eyesight can make an AMD diagnosis feel disheartening. 

But remember, AMD doesn’t define you or your eye health. 

While there’s no cure for AMD, taking proactive steps can make a significant difference in your long-term eye health.

Focus on improving your gut health and follow our other eye-health tips, and you can slow the progression of AMD and protect your vision from its effects.

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