With Valentine’s Day right in the middle of the month, February is, of course, known as the month of love and while there’s sure to be a perfect pair of frames for your loved one at your local eyecare practice, many practitioners are creating awareness for a different cause on social media. This month, ECPs are urging patients to show their eyes a little more love by drawing attention to the fact that February is age-related macular degeneration (AMD) awareness month.

According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), AMD is a disease that blurs the sharp, central vision you need for “straight-ahead” activities such as reading, sewing and driving. AMD affects the macula, the part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail. The NEI also states that age-related macular degeneration happens differently in different people. In some people, vision loss doesn’t occur for a long time while it progresses faster and causes vision loss in one or both eyes for others.

According to Zeiss, a study funded by the U.S. Center of Disease Control and Prevention in 2010 found that there were as many as 9.1 million people living with (AMD) in the U.S., and it was estimated that 17.8 million people will have AMD by the year 2050. Making lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, choosing healthy diets, exercising and managing other medical conditions are all measures one can take to prevent AMD. Because there is no treatment for AMD, it is important that people over the age of 60—the age group most affected by the disease—keep up with their annual eye exams.

Here is a small compilation of some posts promoting AMD awareness.