Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the deterioration of the macula, located in the central retina. It causes blurriness and dark areas in central vision but usually does not impact on side or peripheral vision.

Ninety percent of cases of AMD involve dry forms in which drusen build up over time, while only 10 percent require treatment with wet form treatments that cause loss of central vision and result in more serious visual impairment.

Vitamins

Macular degeneration is an eye disease that leads to blurriness and dark spots in your central vision, caused by macula degeneration – when its protective macula thins out over time due to thinned out blood vessels supplying it – gradually breaking down, thus gradually losing a large portion of central vision affecting driving, reading and recognising faces over time. It may eventually impair driving abilities as well.

Macular degeneration can be managed with diet and vitamin supplements; taking high dose antioxidant vitamins and zinc could slow its progress and protect eyesight.

National Eye Institute’s Age-Related Macular Degeneration Study (AREDS) found that people taking specific combinations of high dose antioxidant vitamins and minerals were less likely to progress from early macular degeneration into advanced forms than those who did not supplement with these remedies. The formula included vitamins C, E, beta-carotene lutein zinc as part of its formula; these pills did not, however, restore lost vision or cure macular degeneration itself.

Studies suggest that eating more green leafy vegetables, fruits and fish could slow the progression of macular degeneration. Also incorporating omega-3 fatty acids from eggs, fish and walnuts may lower your risk for wet macular degeneration.

Wet macular degeneration (WMD) is more serious than dry macular degeneration and may quickly lead to central vision loss. This condition occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina and leak blood or fluid into it. Wet ARMD can be treated using medications called VEGF blocks which block chemical signalling that promotes new vessel formation in your body.

Laser surgery uses high-energy light to target abnormal blood vessels and destroy them with precision, typically performed during outpatient procedures at the doctor’s office without anesthetics. Studies indicate it can temporarily improve some people’s central vision but more research must be conducted to see whether it will have long-term benefits.

Laser Treatment

The macula is a small area in the center of your retina at the back of your eye that helps you see fine details clearly, including reading and driving activities. When this area of your retina becomes damaged, your central vision may become cloudy or dark and you may detect distortion – known as macular degeneration. There are two forms of age-related macular degeneration: dry and wet forms – wet being when blood vessels underneath retina start leaking fluid that causes its function to be compromised, destroying its effectiveness.

Though there is no cure for wet macular degeneration (WMD), laser treatment may help slow its progress. Laser light can be used painlessly to destroy abnormal and leaking blood vessels under the retina – however this only works if they are far enough from your macula not to damage vision and only certain patients with WMD qualify for laser therapy.

New drugs that can be injected directly into the eye to control blood vessel growth and fluid accumulation under the retina have also recently been developed, known as anti-angiogenic drugs, that work by blocking an activity protein that stimulates vessel formation. They fall into various classes: one known as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors work by blocking specific chemicals responsible for stimulating neovascularization while photodynamic therapy uses photosensitizing drugs combined with laser light beams to destroy any such new vessels that form.

Macular degeneration cannot be completely prevented, but to protect your eyes it is vital to not smoke, consume a diet rich in antioxidant vitamins and minerals, maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, stay physically active and visit your eye doctor regularly for a dilated exam that includes receiving an Amsler grid to identify changes to central vision. Anyone experiencing wet macular degeneration must seek medical advice immediately as it can quickly lead to rapid vision loss if left untreated; early detection can often help many patients be successfully treated before their central vision has gone forever.

Anti-Angiogenesis Drugs

Macular degeneration is an eye disease that gradually weakens your central vision, leaving distorted or dimmed images. It also limits your ability to drive and read, yet does not impact side or peripheral vision; so you can still walk and participate in other activities. Vitamin treatment may slow the progression of this condition while medications may help with symptoms like blurry or dimmed vision; though these drugs cannot restore normal vision they can improve quality of life and allow continued driving and other activities.

The disease causes changes to the retina, which consists of photoreceptor cells that convert light into electrical signals sent directly to the brain. Photoreceptor cells also convert color signals from images into electric impulses that travel directly into the macula of central retina; responsible for central, color, and fine detail vision as well as fine details in images. A variety of diseases can cause macular degeneration; most frequently dry age-related macular degeneration which develops when small deposits known as drusen form on retina and gradually thin it; while Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels leak fluid or blood underneath retina obstructing normal visual function and vision is compromised.

Wet macular degeneration (WMD) is more serious and progresses more quickly than dry AMD. It is caused by abnormal neovascularization – the formation of new blood vessels beneath the retina which leak blood or fluid, leading to swelling of retina.

Anti-VEGF injections have proven to be a highly effective eye treatment for wet macular degeneration. These anti-VEGF drugs work by blocking vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which triggers abnormal blood vessel formation. Anti-VEGF treatments should be injected at regular intervals; typically every four weeks.

Lucentis demonstrated superior results versus placebo when it came to improving visual acuity for patients suffering from wet macular degeneration, regardless of level of vision acuity (including those with poor or excellent vision). This benefit could be seen across all categories of vision acuity levels including low and excellent vision patients.

Other studies are underway to test the efficacy of other anti-angiogenic drugs, such as bevacizumab, ranibizumab, and pegaptanib in treating wet macular degeneration, such as bevacizumab. Some of these medications are being studied in combination with laser treatment.

Photodynamic Therapy

Laser photocoagulation was once the only treatment option for wet macular degeneration; however, this procedure damaged retina and prevented any improvement in vision. Photodynamic therapy offers a safer and more effective alternative: use of photosensitizing liquid applied directly to eye and left to absorb for 60 minutes in dark room; seventeen minutes of blue light is then directed at area where leakage occurred – this ensures abnormal blood vessels are destroyed while any loss of central vision can be avoided.

Wet macular degeneration occurs in approximately 20% of patients suffering from dry macular degeneration and is caused by new blood vessels growing beneath the retina that leak fluid or blood, accounting for 90 % of severe visual loss associated with macular degeneration. Furthermore, this form of the disease tends to progress more quickly than dry macular degeneration.

Wet AMD occurs when the central portion of the retina known as the macula ceases functioning properly, leading to blurry or distorted straight-ahead vision and difficulty with tasks such as driving and reading.

Wet macular degeneration remains poorly understood. However, it is thought that buildup of debris in the retina may trigger abnormal blood vessel growth under it which leak fluid and blood into the macula, ultimately leading to macular degeneration.

Photodynamic therapy may provide the optimal solution for patients suffering from wet macular degeneration. The therapy employs photosensitizing liquid and painless laser technology to destroy leaky blood vessels in an easy, noninvasive procedure performed at our clinic in a dark room designed specifically for this treatment. We administer injections using fine needles that are virtually painless.

Repeated treatments may be necessary to stop new blood vessels from growing and preserve vision. Unfortunately, for most patients this solution is only temporary and it will likely not restore any vision that has already been lost.