A Case History of One Patient With Dry Form of AMD (Age-Related Macular Degeneration)

By:  Paul Zemanek, MAcOM, LMP    7-27-2010      [Part 1]

I have been treating a 79-year-old woman who has the dry form of macular degeneration (AMD, also written ARMD), diagnosed 3 years ago, but which may have started even earlier. As if that was not enough, in addition to AMD, she has retinopathy stemming from a 30-year bout with Type I diabetes, cataracts, and pseudoexfoliation syndrome all in both eyes — hence, 4 different eye conditions. The idea behind the cause of AMD is thought to be insufficient oxygen reaching the tiny blood vessels in the eye, as a result of occlusion from cholesterol-calcium-platelet plaques — often linked with high blood pressure and chronically-high blood-sugar levels — that fails to “burn up” the toxins, such as the cloud-like drusen that build up in the macula — a yellowish spot in the middle of the retina responsible for central vision — leaving the peripheral vision unaffected. So therapies are geared towards restoring oxygen to the tissues.

To this day, despite slight cloudiness of vision, she still has her central vision and color perception, she reads, drives the car, walks, no significant neuropathy, although recently complains having slight pain and “wooden” feeling in feet and toes, which has improved after she started stretching and massaging her toes, ankles, calf muscles, hamstrings, and thighs. The drusen and her eyes have remained stable in the past 3 years. Her greatest trouble is frequent urination during the night which adversely affects her sleep and consequently, elevates blood sugar; and high LDL cholesterol, which has been a hereditary problem affecting the females in the family. Since in TCM diabetes is the “wasting away” of liver and kidneys; and modern medicine tells us that 20% of cholesterol is dietary, 80% is synthesized in the liver; and since 5 years ago she has radically improved her diet by moving away from bread which has been her favorite since childhood, and cutting out further carbohydrates to a diet of 50-70% mostly raw, occasionally steamed vegetables per meal (see book Diabetes Solution by Richard K. Bernstein, MD) — breakfast, lunch, and dinner — the rest being protein and good fats such as avocado, fish, poultry, mushroom (e.g. portabella), and a slice of low carbohydrate bread, it becomes evident that the abnormal excess of LDL production is a problem of the liver. Since, unlike macular degeneration, retinopathy is reversible with improved blood sugar control, her improvement in diet immediately yielded better average glucose levels (150-170) and 3-month A1c improved from 9-10 to 7.5-8.5) that decreased retinopathy (leaking blood vessels).

[Part 2] ~

Therapy for AMD: Acupuncture, Oxygen, Ozone, Rheopheresis, Sunglasses, Aloe Vera Juice, Cinnamon, Diet, Nutrients