How Do You Fix Macular Degeneration?

Macular degeneration is a condition in which central vision progressively declines while peripheral (side) vision remains intact.

Symptoms include the degradation of retinal macula appearance, manifested as yellow deposits known as drusen underneath the retina. A comprehensive dilated eye exam will detect this condition; treatment options include medication, injections, laser light treatment or surgery.

1. Exercise

Age related macular degeneration (AMD), is an eye condition that requires regular care to avoid vision loss and maintain good health. AMD is an age-related macular condition which slowly takes away your central vision, making it harder for you to read, drive or recognize faces. Damage to the macula – part of the retina responsible for seeing fine details clearly – leads to blurry or distorted vision, blind spots or straight lines appearing wavy or crooked; though not painful or leading to blindness completely it can hinder your daily tasks such as reading, driving or household chore completion.

Macular Degeneration can be broken into two distinct types, dry and wet macular degeneration. Eighty-five to ninety percent of those diagnosed with AMD fall under its dry form where yellow spots called drusen, known as clogged macula deposits, form under their retina and cause its degradation over time. Conversely, its wet form causes abnormal blood vessels to form beneath it which leak blood and fluid into their environment resulting in blood and vision loss for many affected individuals.

Treatment for wet macular degeneration differs significantly from its dry form and typically does not restore lost vision. Laser surgery may be used in some instances of wet AMD to destroy abnormal blood vessels leaking and leading to vision loss – known as photodynamic therapy or PDT – using harmless orange-red dye injected through arm veins into vessels under retina and then using painless laser light beams to destroy these blood vessels and slow progression of disease.

2. Diet

Macular degeneration is a progressive eye condition that gradually destroys central vision. The cause is damage to the macula – a small spot at the center of your retina (a paper-thin tissue lining the back of your eye) which results in blind spots or grayness appearing within your visual field; although peripheral vision usually remains clear.

Initial symptoms may include an unpleasant distortion of straight lines in one or both eyes, leading to difficulties driving, reading up close, seeing faces or distinguishing colors; over time this condition becomes impossible and all these tasks become impossible for individuals living with it.

Maintaining regular dilated eye exams is key for early macular degeneration detection and to slow its progress. Your eye care specialist will use a grid to test your visual field and take photos of the retina before offering advice about nutritional supplements, medications or laser surgery options that may help.

Researchers from UC have shown that individuals who consume plenty of green leafy vegetables, lutein and zeaxanthin from fruits, vegetables and fish are less likely to suffer macular degeneration or lose their vision faster. Studies also demonstrate how supplementing with antioxidant vitamins and minerals decreases this risk significantly.

Healthier habits for eye care include not smoking or being exposed to secondhand smoke; limiting sun exposure by wearing sunglasses and a hat with visor if going outdoors; as well as maintaining a healthy weight to prevent high blood pressure or diabetes – which all negatively impact eye health.

3. Supplements

Your eyesight can be better protected from dry AMD by eating foods rich in Omega 3, such as deep sea fish (rich in Omega 3s) and dark green leafy vegetables, like curly kale, spinach and broccoli, that contain Lutein and Zeaxanthin to slow macular degeneration. Speak to your doctor about creating a diet which provides enough of these vitamins and minerals.

If you suffer from wet macular degeneration, treatment involves injecting a special dye into your arm which then travels directly to retinal blood vessels in your retina and macula. A special camera then takes pictures as this dye makes abnormal vessels visible – these leaking blood vessels may then be closed off with laser surgery to avoid more bleeding, scarring or blindness in future visits.

4. Eyeglasses

Macular degeneration (also known as age-related macular degeneration or AMD) occurs when the macula in your eye deteriorates and creates blurry central vision, making it hard for you to drive, read, or recognize faces. It is the leading cause of blindness among people aged 60 or above and can be prevented through regular visits to an ophthalmologist for comprehensive retina exams that can detect early signs such as yellow protein deposits called drusen under your retina that indicate macular degeneration.

Early diagnosis and treatment of macular degeneration increases your odds of successful management. Eyeglasses equipped with bifocal or trifocal lenses allow users to see near and far objects simultaneously – helping maintain independence by enabling you to carry out daily tasks using vision you still possess.

Anti-reflective coatings on glasses have become a feature, helping reduce glare. There are frames made from stronger materials like memory metal alloys and spring-loaded hinges which can withstand daily wear and tear stresses; many frames also include built-in nose bridges to fit close to the eyes for optimal comfort.

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy has shown significant promise in halting abnormal blood vessel growth that bleed and scar the retina, but only when administered early and before too much damage has occurred. If you notice leakage in your retina, visit an ophthalmologist immediately because this could lead to retinal detachment requiring surgical repair via either scleral buckling or pneumatic retinopexy (pressing eye wall against retinal hole and holding until scar tissue forms to heal tears).

5. Laser Surgery

The eye can be thought of like a camera; light enters through its cornea and pupil before being focused onto the retina, which sends an image directly to your brain via optic nerve. Your central part of retina, known as macula, is responsible for your central vision; when this part deteriorates due to diseases like age related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy you may experience blurred and distorted central vision. Vitreous gel covers macula; when this starts separating from retina it can create holes known as retinal tears or detachments which if left unfixed with surgery loss of vision can accelerate quickly with complete loss possible over time.

Wet age-related macular degeneration is less frequent but more severe than dry macular degeneration, when cells of the macula start to disintegrate, prompting new blood vessels to form which leak fluid or blood and irritate it further. If left unchecked, these abnormal vessels could eventually lead to scarring which leads to detached retinas.

Laser surgery can be used to seal tears in the retina. The procedure takes place in an office setting under local anesthesia, with laser beams used to burn tissues around a tear and form scar tissue around it, sticking the retina back onto its wall of the eye. Laser treatment can also help decrease abnormal blood vessel growth that bleed and irritate retina.

Repair of retinal detachments requires more complicated surgical interventions, typically including inserting a gas or air bubble (pneumatic retinopexy) into the eye to keep it attached, until scar tissue fills in any tear caused by scarring healing the tear. Another option involves using a flexible band known as scleral buckle that wraps around it pressurising inward to maintain position of retina and hold in place while scar tissue heals its tear.