Macular degeneration is an eye disease that gradually destroys central vision. This typically happens as the macula becomes thinner and protein deposits called drusen accumulate underneath its surface, eventually leading to complete vision loss.

In its more serious wet form, AMD causes abnormal blood vessels to form beneath the retina and leak blood or fluid into your central vision, impairing vision. Up until recently, there was no treatment available for wet macular degeneration.

What is Dry Macular Degeneration?

Macular degeneration occurs when this area deteriorates and causes vision loss – it’s the leading cause of blindness among people aged 50+ and can even contribute to early death. Although this part of aging, treatments exist that can help slow or stop macular degeneration from progressing further.

Age-related macular degeneration comes in two varieties, dry and wet. About eight out of ten cases involve dry macular degeneration, which typically begins slowly as parts of the retina thin and small yellow deposits called drusen form beneath it. It usually only affects one eye at first but could progress into wet macular degeneration later.

Wet macular degeneration is much rarer but more serious. In this form of the condition, new abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina and leak fluid onto or bleed onto the macula, distorting central vision to such an extent that rapid loss of sight occurs; some estimates put 90% of people with severe macular degeneration having this form.

Early AMD detection and treatment can be achieved with an extensive, dilated eye exam. Annual checks, particularly if over 50, should be scheduled in order to protect vision. Early diagnosis and treatment is the key to maintaining visual acuity.

Diet and regular exercise can significantly lower your risk for macular degeneration. Make sure to consume plenty of fruits and vegetables as well as adding Omega-3 rich fish or nuts like those found in seafood, nuts or oily fish to your diet for added Omega-3 protection. Try not smoking and limit exposure to sunlight as much as possible – unfortunately its root causes remain unknown, with genetics, family history and obesity all being factors. Furthermore cardiovascular disease increases one’s chances of macular degeneration development.

Macular degeneration can be treated with medications that can slow its progress if diagnosed early enough, though the best way to protect your vision and preserve its quality is through regular eye exams.

Symptoms

Macular degeneration results when layers of the macula thin, leading to a loss of light-sensitive cells in the retina and eventually damage. Drusen, small clumps of protein produced from collagen degradation, often form underneath retina and may damage it further – leading to central vision becoming blurry over time. For years this condition was considered irreversible and untreatable – however new treatments can reduce progression and preserve vision for many more years than was once believed possible.

Dry macular degeneration symptoms tend to be mild and won’t interfere with everyday activities, including difficulty adapting to low light environments and gradual haziness affecting central vision — including fine details and colors becoming blurrier, straight lines becoming crooked or wavy; this stage of the disease does not cause pain.

At later stages of macular degeneration, the macula becomes thinner still as more pigment is lost, leading to increasingly blurry vision in your central field of vision. You may encounter difficulty when reading, driving, or performing other activities which require close-up object-focus such as reading. If these signs surface for you, see an eye doctor immediately.

Although there is no known treatment that will reverse or cure dry macular degeneration, taking antioxidant vitamins and zinc at higher doses may help slow its progress. Furthermore, eating foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids – like fruits, vegetables and fish – may lower your risk for this condition.

Wet macular degeneration (WMD), the more severe form of macular degeneration, occurs when abnormal blood vessels form beneath the retina and leak fluid or bleed into the eye, leading to vision loss. Laser photocoagulation was once the only effective procedure to stop this bleeding and loss; but more recent techniques like photodynamic therapy and Visudyne drug treatment may improve vision in some patients with wet AMD. Only 10% of those living with ARMD will progress into wet AMD stage; so those affected should regularly visit their eye doctor with any changes or changes that may arise within their vision.

Diagnosis

Dry macular degeneration occurs when small clumps of yellow protein (drusen) slowly build up behind the macula, damaging it over time and eventually leading to vision loss in your central field of vision. However, peripheral vision should remain unaffected; more prevalent in older people and usually only affecting one eye at once; though sometimes both eyes can be affected simultaneously by gradual progression. It often appears gradually so you may not even realize your vision has altered!

Though no treatment exists for dry macular degeneration, there are ways you can help slow it. Your doctor can suggest taking vitamin supplements proven to slow progression. They may also recommend adopting a healthy lifestyle including dark green leafy vegetables and other nutritious foods in your diet; regular physical activity; no smoking; and monitoring your vision at home with an Amsler grid chart daily, one eye at a time to see if blurriness has set in.

About 85% of cases of macular degeneration fall under the dry type, in which deposits known as drusen accumulate at the back of the macula and start affecting it directly, including deposits made up of beta-amyloid proteins which damage its functioning over time. This process results in gradual loss of central vision without pain to suffer through.

Wet macular degeneration, while less prevalent but more serious than dry macular degeneration, is also less commonly encountered but more serious. With this form of macular degeneration, abnormal blood vessels form beneath the retina, leaking fluid or bleeding to scar the macula and lead to blurry or distorted central vision resulting from scar tissue formation on macula scars. Wet macular degeneration tends to progress more rapidly than dry macular degeneration.

Scheduling regular eye exams is essential for early macular degeneration detection. We use special tests such as an Amsler grid to evaluate your vision and macula condition, and an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan can take pictures of the back of your eye to measure retinal thickness. Together these tests help us determine if you are at risk for wet macular degeneration – if so we offer injections or photodynamic therapy treatment which has been proven to slow progression as well as potentially improve vision.

Treatment

At an advanced stage of AMD, your vision need not decline quickly. A variety of treatments may slow or even stop further loss of central vision and stop wet macular degeneration from progressing further.

Wet macular degeneration (WMD), which affects approximately 10% of those with macular degeneration, is much more severe than its dry form. It occurs when abnormal new blood vessels form under the retina and leak fluid or blood, blurring and distorting central vision. Left untreated, wet ARMD can lead to irreparable vision loss within months or weeks if left untreated.

Research has demonstrated that eating a well-rounded diet with plenty of fruits and dark green vegetables, can significantly lower the risk of wet macular degeneration. Furthermore, smoking should be avoided and vitamin supplements taken daily for maximum effect.

AREDS (Age Related Eye Disease Study) trials have demonstrated that high-dose formulations of vitamins A, C and E together with Zinc can significantly slow the progression of macular degeneration. Therefore it is imperative that anyone at risk for macular degeneration take these supplements, particularly those already experiencing dry AMD symptoms.

Maintain any other medical conditions you may have, such as heart disease and high blood pressure, to reduce your risk of macular degeneration. Visit an ophthalmologist regularly in order to monitor any macular degeneration symptoms and comply with treatment recommendations from them.

Macular degeneration currently lacks treatments, while there are a range of wet macular degeneration treatments available. Most focus on stopping abnormal new blood vessels that form due to leaky wet macular degeneration – known as choroidal neovascularization or CNV. Most treatments involve administering injections into one eye to inhibit certain growth factors from stimulating new blood vessel formation; retinal specialists typically administer these injections frequently and perform this treatment themselves.