No cure exists for dry AMD; however, high doses of antioxidant vitamins and zinc may slow its progression. Furthermore, a new procedure involves implanting a small telescopic lens into patients’ eyes that helps improve vision.

The retina is a paper-thin tissue located at the back of your eyes that converts light into nerve impulses sent directly to your brain, enabling us to perceive fine details clearly and colors, drive cars safely, read or use computers efficiently, recognize faces and colors and recognize faces as they pass in front of our eyes.

Early Detection

Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a progressive eye condition which affects the macula in the center of the retina, impairing central vision and making it harder to read, drive, work on a computer, recognize faces or detect colors and contrasts. Although AMD never leads to complete blindness it significantly reduces quality of life while diminishing independence.

Macular degeneration comes in two forms, dry and wet, both gradually progressing over time. Dry AMD is more prevalent and begins with a breakdown or thinning of the macula which leads to yellow deposits known as drusen under the retina forming under it; at first this doesn’t lead to symptoms; but as it progresses into intermediate and later stages blurry central vision may develop as symptoms increase.

Wet macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels form beneath the retina and leak fluid or form scar tissue, creating wet macular degeneration as its more severe form. Unfortunately, no cure exists yet but treatment with medications that inhibit new blood vessel growth may slow or reduce progression – such as bevacizumab, ranibizumab or pegaptanib injections at regular intervals may help halt progression.

Macular degeneration is best avoided through routine comprehensive eye examinations and visits with your ophthalmologist as soon as any changes in vision occur. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, adults without signs or risk factors for eye disease should start getting baseline exams at age 40 and follow-up exams every one to two years thereafter.

There is no surefire way to prevent macular degeneration, but healthy diet and regular exercise may help lessen its severity and alleviate its symptoms. Smoking and family history of the condition are both major risk factors; those with a history are also more likely to develop other age-related issues such as heart disease, stroke, vascular diseases or osteoarthritis – conditions which often comorbid with this one and further compound its severity and symptoms.

Fluorescein Angiography

Fluorescein angiography allows your doctor to see the blood vessels of both retina and choroid, which make up the two layers that form the back of the eye. It is used for many eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and wet macular degeneration; and can even assist in diagnosing retinal vein and artery occlusions. Fluorescein angiography imaging serves many functions for your retina specialist: from diagnosing illness through providing guidelines for treatment plans to tracking disease progression – an invaluable diagnostic tool indeed!

Fluorescein angiograms involve injecting yellow dye into a vein (usually in your arm). As the dye travels through your eye’s blood vessels, a special camera takes pictures as the dye circulates through them. Your retina specialist can then examine these images to detect abnormal new blood vessels or leakage of fluid from capillaries that could indicate disease in their retinas.

Your retina specialist can use the photographs from a fluorescein angiogram to diagnose wet macular degeneration and assess if certain treatments for it would benefit you. For instance, there are medications designed to slow progression by decreasing neovascularization; verteporfin photodynamic therapy utilizes drugs that occlude abnormal vessels; while pegaptanib (Macugen) acts intravitreally by inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor which plays a key role in angiogenesis.

Your ophthalmologist can assist in managing the symptoms of dry AMD by prescribing vitamin A and C supplements to slow the progression of disease and possibly improve vision. Other treatments for dry AMD include high-strength tinted lenses or digital magnifiers – please always follow instructions given by your ophthalmologist.

There is currently no treatment that can reverse the loss of vision caused by wet AMD; however, there are various means available to maximize functional vision such as optical aids and assistive devices. Furthermore, multiple clinical trials are currently taking place to explore new therapies for wet AMD.

Optical Coherence Tomography

Optic Coherence Tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique which offers cross-sectional analyses of retina. OCT is noninvasive and nondestructive; unlike x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging or B-scan ultrasound, OCT uses only light for image acquisition. OCT’s high axial resolution – providing images of layers within the eye – makes it useful in identifying disease entities like macular holes, macular edema and central serous chorioretinopathy.

Most individuals suffering from AMD experience its dry form, which results in macular atrophy and central vision loss. People experiencing the wet form develop abnormal blood vessels which leak fluid resulting in severe vision loss.

Both forms of AMD can be identified through medical eye exams. The National Eye Institute is conducting several studies to uncover its causes; these investigations involve conducting eye exams with thousands of participants; they may someday lead to a cure for AMD. Furthermore, scientists are conducting trials with certain vitamins and minerals to see if they can delay or prevent its onset.

People suffering from wet AMD can take steps to preserve vision and slow its progression with treatment options such as anti-VEGF drugs that reduce new blood vessels that form on the retina, slow their leaking of fluid, or both. These drugs may be administered via injection or taken orally; some individuals may benefit from laser surgery which uses light beams to seal off abnormal vessels.

Patients suffering from wet AMD often have additional medical conditions like hypertension, glaucoma and cardiovascular disease that compound their condition and require monitoring, such as hypertension. OCT technology allows daily monitoring of fluid status for these patients; frequency and quality can be improved over time by training patients how to self-scan at home; this ability is important considering wet AMD progresses faster without early treatment.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals can provide crucial protection from sight-robbing conditions and diseases, with colorful fruits and vegetables, fish, nuts and fish oil providing most of what your eyes require for optimal eye health. Supplements may also provide essential eye vitamin supplement nutrients if required; the report Making Sense of Vitamins and Minerals details how you can get your Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) through food and supplement sources alike.

Dry macular degeneration occurs when protein deposits known as drusen accumulate under the retina and over time cause it to thin, leading to blurry or distorted vision and blurred or dim spots appearing centrally or blind spots that worsen over time. Vision loss usually progresses slowly over time.

Wet macular degeneration, in contrast, is marked by abnormal blood vessels that leak or bleed under the retina and cause visual loss at an increased rate. Treatment for wet AMD involves regular injections of drugs designed to decrease or stop their development and thus halt further vision loss.

Macular degeneration is caused by both dry and wet forms of macular degeneration and can be delayed through a diet rich in vitamins and minerals as well as by refraining from smoking, obesity and excessive exposure to sunlight. Unfortunately, neither type can be cured entirely.

If you are concerned about age-related macular degeneration, consult with your eye doctor about taking an antioxidant supplement containing C and E vitamins, beta carotene and zinc. According to AREDS2, such supplements were found to decrease progression to advanced macular degeneration by 25%. In the second AREDS trial (AREDS2) additional protection against wet AMD was not offered by these additional ingredients but other therapies are currently under investigation which may provide more robust protection.