NEW YORK—Prevent Blindness has declared February as Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Low Vision Awareness Month. A leading cause of vision loss in the U.S., AMD affects more women than men, and risk increases with age. According to the National Eye Institute, White Americans have the greatest likelihood of developing AMD, and smokers are also at a higher risk. Prevent Blindness also estimates that about 16 million people in the U.S. are affected by AMD. As in Feburaries past, Prevent Blindness has named February Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Low Vision Awareness Month to help educate the public on AMD types, treatment options, low vision services and more.

For the sixth year running, Prevent Blindness and Bausch + Lomb have collaborated to raise awareness of AMD, this year launching a yearlong video series that features the personal stories of people who have AMD and the strategies they have for living a healthy lifestyle with the first episode launching later this month,as VMAIL reported.

The Vision Council has also supported resources for patients and providers via its What is Low Vision website which addreses the needs of people with a vision impairment due to macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and other eye conditions.

ECPs and optical organizations are also posting about AMD Awareness month on social media, sharing risk factors, warning signs and more.

For more information about AMD, visit www.SightMatters.com. For a free listing of organizations and services that provide financial assistance for vision care in English or Spanish, visit Prevent Blindness at https://www.preventblindness.org/vision-care-financial-assistance-information.