Ophthalmologist to trek 500 miles for macular degeneration awareness

Dade City, FL-By the end of the week, Edward Kondrot, MD, and his wife will begin a 500-mile pilgrimage through Spain along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela to raise awareness for macular degeneration.

“Many people are unaware that they have macular degeneration in their eyes until it is too late,” Dr. Kondrot said. “Your risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) increases with age and it’s vital to get regular eye exams to heighten your chances of catching it early.”

The famous walk, known as the Way of St. James in English, starts in France and covers two mountain ranges, plains, countryside, orchards, and vineyards, trailing across the top of Spain.

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Dr. Kondrot-founder of Healing the Eye & Wellness Center, Dade City, FL, and president of the Arizona Homeopathic and Integrative Medical Association-said he plans to complete the trek in 33 days.

According to the American Optometric Association, AMD is the leading cause of severe vision loss in adults over 50. Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 1.8 million people have AMD and another 7.3 million are at substantial risk for vision loss from AMD.

“We’re walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in the hopes that we can raise awareness about AMD and perhaps we can save people’s vision along the way,” Dr. Kondrot said. “We hope to raise as much money as possible for this worthy cause.”

To track Dr. Kondrot and his wife’s progress along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, visit http://healingtheeye.com/camino/.

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