Macular degeneration usually manifests itself in its dry form, where yellow deposits known as drusen accumulate slowly beneath the macula and lead to central vision loss but don’t lead to total blindness.

About 10% of cases involve wet macular degeneration, in which abnormal blood vessels proliferate and leak fluid beneath the retina, leading to rapid central vision loss – accounting for 90% of severe macular degeneration cases that lead to blindness.

Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Dry AMD)

Dry age-related macular degeneration occurs when deposits known as drusen form under the retina due to oxidative stress and may lead to macula thinning. Although this type of macular degeneration typically does not lead to vision loss, blurriness or distortion in central vision may occur as a result. Peripheral vision remains unaffected. Furthermore, this form usually progresses slowly without leading to blindness.

Eight out of 10 people with AMD experience the dry form, the early stage that doesn’t involve any leakage of fluid or blood from the retina. Still, this serious condition can develop into wet macular degeneration resulting in rapid vision loss; abnormal blood vessels grow beneath your retina leaking fluid or blood which distorts or blurs central vision, often leaving straight lines bent, distorted or wavy with small blind spots as symptoms.

Wet macular degeneration (WAMD) is more prevalent than dry macular degeneration and poses an increased risk of severe vision loss. Smoking, family history of macular degeneration, high cholesterol levels and blood pressure levels as well as obesity are factors which may increase the chance of progressing from dry AMD to wet AMD; regular dilated eye examinations along with management of other medical conditions can help ward off this transition from dry AMD into wet AMD.

Dry AMD cannot be reversed, but its progression can be delayed with diet and lifestyle modifications and nutritional supplements. Studies have shown that taking a combination of vitamins C and E, lutein/zeaxanthin/zinc and folic acid could decrease your risk of progression by up to 25%! Furthermore, experts advise maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking and protecting eyes from sun exposure when possible. If macular degeneration concerns you, make an appointment with one of Louisiana Eye & Laser Center’s retina specialist today!

Atrophic Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AAMD)

Macular degeneration is an eye condition that gradually decreases central vision. It occurs when deposits under the retina (known as drusen) accumulate and damage the macula over time, creating blurriness or dark areas in your center vision, which makes reading, driving, using a computer/phone, recognizing faces/colors/details difficult and fine details become impossible to see clearly. Luckily, this form of macular degeneration typically only impacts central vision – not total blindness!

Estimates show that approximately 7 percent of those aged 60-69 and 35 percent of those 80 years or older suffer from AMD. While AMD cannot cure blindness, treatments exist that can help slow its progress – taking lutein and omega-3 supplements, quitting smoking, and wearing sun-protecting sunglasses all reduce your risk for advanced macular degeneration.

Macular Degeneration occurs most commonly as dry AMD. Drusen deposits under the retina slowly build up and eventually damage the macula, while wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow beneath your retina, leaking fluid or blood into your macula, which reduces central vision.

Wet macular degeneration (WMD) is more serious than dry AMD, threatening vision quickly and severely. If the condition is diagnosed and treated quickly, the better chance you have of maintaining central vision. Fundus fluorescein angiography can detect leaky abnormal blood vessels; depending on its extent and damage there may also be various treatments available to slow its progress.

The figures below depict the approximate prevalence of different clinical subgroups of AMD as estimated by published examination-based population studies that used VEHSS criteria to categorize AMD. Estimations can differ due to factors like study design, definition of AMD, population characteristics and more – for more details please see VEHSS Methodology and Composite Prevalence Estimates Report.

Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration (EXAMD)

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the gradual or sudden loss of central vision due to damage to the macula in your eye, which controls your field of vision allowing you to read, drive safely, thread a needle and complete many other visual tasks. Macular degeneration may be part of normal aging but there are steps you can take to lower your risk and slow the rate of vision loss.

AMD is a progressive condition divided into two subcategories, dry (atrophic) and wet (exudative). Dry macular degeneration occurs when deposits called drusen accumulate behind the retina, leading to further progression and blurred or distorted central vision as well as dark spots appearing across your field of vision. Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels leak fluid or blood into the macula, leading to loss of detailed central vision that eventually results in legal blindness within short period.

Wet macular degeneration (WMD) is an extremely serious form of AMD and requires immediate treatment. Signs and symptoms include straight lines appearing wavy, blurred central vision and dark spots appearing within your field of vision. Why wet AMD is more serious than dry AMD are because vision can rapidly decline much quicker – even potentially leading to permanent blindness if left untreated.

As part of your effort to reduce the risk of wet AMD, regular dilated eye exams with your physician at least every two years can help to mitigate it. They will use a slit lamp and conduct various forms of vision tests along with imaging of your retina to examine each eye thoroughly.

Diets rich in antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to slow the progression of wet macular degeneration; however, smoking, obesity, and family histories of AMD all pose risks of wet macular degeneration. A medication called verteporfin can be administered intravenously; its chemical compounds bind with new blood vessels that form on retinal blood vessels when exposed to light; this allows light-activated destruction of them thus decreasing leakage or bleeding risk and improving vision in some patients.

Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AAMD)

Macular degeneration (AMD) is an insidious disease that gradually damages central vision, making it hard for sufferers to read, drive and recognize faces. AMD is the primary cause of severe vision loss among adults over 60. While AMD can lead to complete blindness in some instances, most often its first sign appears when straight lines begin appearing bent or wavy – these changes prompt people to seek professional medical help immediately.

Macular degeneration usually develops over time as our retinal light-sensing cells begin to degenerate, leading to waste deposits known as drusen that form over time and gradually damage the macula. Over time these deposits may eventually form central blind spots or cause our eyes to bleed; 10% of cases involve abnormal blood vessel growth under the retina that leak blood or fluid into the macula — this condition is known as wet macular degeneration and accounts for 90% of vision loss associated with AMD; furthermore it tends to progress faster than dry AMD as it progresses more rapidly over time causing devastating visual loss within hours or days of diagnosis!

Wet AMD remains poorly understood; however, its causes have yet to be established. It appears more frequently among people who had the dry form prior to developing wet AMD and is also more likely to occur among men than women and people of European descent.

Even though wet macular degeneration is more severe than dry, it can often be managed successfully with medications called anti-VEGF agents that reduce abnormal blood vessel growth associated with this form of the condition and thus slow its progression. To combat wet macular degeneration effectively, it’s recommended that patients receive injections of these anti-VEGF agents regularly in order to slow its progress and halt further disease.

Thermal laser therapy and photodynamic therapy are also excellent treatment options, designed to kill abnormal blood vessels that form beneath the retina and significantly decrease risk of severe vision loss while even helping recover some central vision in some patients. Medication alone will not solve macular degeneration; diet rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants as well as limited exposure to tobacco smoke or UV rays may reduce its progression over time and lower risk.