The macula on the retina provides clear central vision. While there is no cure for ARMD, medications may help slow or stop vision loss.

Ninety percent of ARMD is the dry form, where deposits called drusen form behind the macula. Ten percent is associated with wet form; abnormal blood vessels grow beneath retina and leak fluid into macula causing more rapid vision loss.

Injection Therapy

Injection therapy is one of the most effective treatments for wet age-related macular degeneration. This form is caused by abnormal blood vessel growth beneath the retina that leaks fluid, swelling, or fluid buildup, leading to leakage, swelling, or fluid buildup under the retina and can result in rapid vision loss if left untreated. If you suspect wet macular degeneration symptoms in yourself or someone you know, please reach out immediately to UT Southwestern’s Macular Degeneration Program – early diagnosis and treatment could save lives!

Wet AMD, or age-related macular degeneration, involves abnormal blood vessels forming beneath the retina that lead to fluid leakage and scarring of the macula, leading to vision loss or blindness if left untreated; however it can be treated using anti-VEGF injections such as bevacizumab, ranibizumab or Aflibercept given every four weeks to reduce new vessel formation and minimise fluid leakage.

Signs of wet macular degeneration include gradual blurring or haziness in central vision, difficulty seeing fine details or colors, and distortion of geometric forms. Anyone experiencing such symptoms should schedule a dilated eye exam immediately.

Anti-VEGF treatments such as Avastin (bevacizumab), Lucentis (ranibizumab) or Eylea (aflibercept) injections have become the standard way of treating wet macular degeneration, saving the sight of thousands who would otherwise have gone blind. These anti-VEGF drugs work by stopping abnormal blood vessel growth that contributes to Neovascular AMD. They’ve proven indispensable as wet AMD treatments.

USC Ginsburg Institute researchers have made breakthrough advances through a CIRM Disease Team Therapy III Award by creating a retinal implant with RPE cells – cells responsible for nurturing photoreceptor cells which detect light – that has been surgically placed under the retina and has already shown promising early signs of therapeutic benefit in some patients.

Photodynamic Therapy

Macular degeneration (MD) is a progressive eye condition affecting the center part of your retina called the macula that provides clear, straight ahead vision. Over time this condition erodes away at this sharp central vision which allows us to read, drive, recognize faces, and other fine details, eventually leading to complete loss of central vision while side or peripheral vision remains intact; MD is one of the primary causes of legal blindness among adults over 50; currently no effective treatments exist to restore lost central vision; however medications and injections have shown promise at slowing its progression significantly.

Macular degeneration comes in two forms – dry and wet macular degeneration. Over time, tissue in the macula becomes thinner as you age and tiny clumps of protein called drusen form, interfering with light-sensing cells to cause gradual loss of central vision. Conversely, in wet AMD abnormal blood vessels may form underneath the retina and leak fluid into your eye or cause an accident that hastens vision loss.

If you have dry macular degeneration, it’s essential that you visit your ophthalmologist on a regular basis for exams and additional testing, including fluorescein angiography and OCT scans, to help detect the development of wet AMD. Medication like bevacizumab, ranibizumab and pegaptanib can inhibit abnormal blood vessel growth caused by wet AMD by blocking an important chemical called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), administered directly into your eye at four week intervals.

Photodynamic therapy can be combined with medications to treat wet AMD. Using verteporfin dye, photodynamic therapy highlights abnormal blood vessels which can then be targeted with laser or another substance such as steroids to eliminate them and decrease fluid leakage. It provides an alternative approach to thermal laser photocoagulation; though these treatments do not guarantee cures they can help slow down late visual decline in some 50% of patients suffering from wet AMD.

Fluorescein Angiography

Fluorescein sodium dye is injected into a vein in your arm and then photographed as it travels toward the blood vessels behind your eye, which allows your doctor to see if there are abnormal new blood vessels growing beneath the retina. It is also useful in diagnosing diseases related to diabetes retinopathy and wet macular degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an age-related eye condition in which the central area of your retina, known as the macula, begins to deteriorate, making it hard for fine details to be seen clearly and causing difficulty threading needles or driving. Dry AMD typically affects both eyes and does not lead to total blindness – instead making it more difficult to differentiate between light and dark shades as well as losing straight lines and colors; early diagnosis and regular eye exams are key in slowing its progress.

Wet macular degeneration (WMD), unlike its dry AMD counterpart, can result in permanent vision loss. WMD occurs when abnormal blood vessel growth causes scar tissue formation on the macula which impedes fluid leakage from blood vessels nourishing it and leakage occurs between these vessels and fluid leakage through them. When wet AMD develops in this way, your doctor may suggest treatments such as AREDS vitamins, laser surgery or injection of light-sensitive dyes to inhibit angiogenesis as ways to restore vision loss.

Frequent annual screenings for macular degeneration – both dry and wet varieties – are necessary in order to detect early symptoms and prescribe effective treatments. Regular annual macular screening tests will allow your physician to identify whether you have dry versus wet macular degeneration and determine which therapies would be most suitable.

If you notice changes to your central vision, such as blurriness or dark spots in the center of your field of vision, make an appointment immediately with an eye doctor. Wet macular degeneration can progress quickly and lead to vision loss in just months.

Optical Coherence Tomography

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive imaging technique that measures the thickness of both your retina and macula. OCT works using low-coherence interferometers that transmit a light beam through your eye to measure its length of travel before comparing that measurement against one known in length – helping determine tissue depth depth as well as help diagnose potential conditions that could progress into wet macular degeneration.

Wet ARMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels begin to form and leak blood and fluid underneath the retina, which causes it to rise from its usual position at the back of your eye and blur central vision. This severe form of the disease requires immediate medical intervention as symptoms include blurry central vision, distortion of straight lines in grid patterns, as well as dark spots appearing within your field of view.

Anti-VEGF medications injected intravitreally to inhibit blood vessel growth may help treat wet ARMD. Photodynamic therapy uses special dye injected into the eye followed by laser light treatment to destroy abnormal blood vessels – this therapy may be combined with intravitreal injections of an anti-VEGF medication for maximum effectiveness.

There is currently no cure for dry macular degeneration; however, you can take steps to slow its progress by taking vitamin supplements, eating a well-balanced diet, and not smoking. Take care to manage other medical conditions, including high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases, and make regular appointments with an ophthalmologist. Furthermore, to protect your eyesight you should avoid looking directly at bright lights or sunlight and always wear sunglasses when possible. Reduce ultraviolet radiation exposure to help lower cataract and macular degeneration risk. Avoid any behaviors that could contribute to macular degeneration such as prolonged sitting or smoking – macular degeneration typically only reduces central vision; not side or peripheral.