Are straight lines suddenly appearing wavy? This could be an early indicator of macular degeneration, the leading cause of severe vision loss.

Macular degeneration gradually destroys central, clear vision. It may also cause an area to form at the center of one’s field of view that becomes dark or empty.

Macular degeneration comes in two forms, dry and wet macular degeneration. Of these forms, only wet can be treated effectively by laser surgery.

Types of Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration refers to the deterioration of a central part of your retina (light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eyeball), called the macula. This area collects detailed images that travel directly from your eyes to your brain so you can see objects and images directly ahead. When cells in this macula start degenerating, your central vision becomes distorted and blurry affecting reading, driving and performing other activities that require fine detail. Luckily, macular degeneration doesn’t usually result in complete blindness but peripheral vision can still help get around and take care of yourself and take care of yourself!

Macular degeneration comes in two varieties – dry and wet. An estimated 85 to 90% of cases fall under the dry form, where yellow deposits known as drusen accumulate on the retina over time and cause gradual vision loss while leaving most people able to retain reading vision in both eyes.

Initial signs of dry macular degeneration often manifest as straight lines appearing wavy or crooked; others may notice an occasional dark spot in their central vision. These early symptoms are often picked up during routine eye exams.

Macular Degeneration comes in both wet and dry forms; with wet degeneration involving abnormal blood vessels beneath the retina that leak or bleed fluid or blood, resulting in sudden vision loss for some patients.

Wet macular degeneration typically progresses more rapidly and severely than its dry form of ARMD, and should be addressed quickly with laser treatment to destroy abnormal blood vessels under the retina that have grown abnormally. Laser light can sometimes help slow or stop further vision loss and even help improve vision in some patients; however, laser cannot restore what has already been lost; so regular examinations and additional tests should be scheduled in order to evaluate your risk for further vision loss as well as discuss treatment options with an ophthalmologist.

Diagnosis

Macular degeneration occurs when the central part of your retina (which detects light) deteriorates or breaks down, resulting in blurriness, dark areas or distortion in central vision that makes reading, driving or performing other tasks that require straight ahead vision difficult or impossible; while side or peripheral vision typically remains unaffected.

There are two forms of macular degeneration, dry and wet. Of these two varieties, dry forms are the more prevalent; this occurs from damage to retinal pigment epithelial layers beneath the retina and light-sensing cells within the macula, leading to gradual vision loss accompanied by other symptoms like difficulty seeing fine details or straight lines that appear wavy.

Wet macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels sprout beneath the retina and leak fluid or blood, causing central vision loss more rapidly than it would with dry forms of macular degeneration. Regular visits to an eye doctor for regular exams and tests like OCT scans and fluorescein angiography will allow your doctor to detect these new vessels quickly enough and determine how quickly you could lose central vision.

People suffering from wet macular degeneration can still have useful vision if it is addressed early. By stopping abnormal blood vessels from leaking and growing quickly, early intervention increases your odds of maintaining central vision for life.

Macular degeneration can be slow down by taking regular exams and taking certain vitamins and minerals that protect the eyes against macular degeneration, including antioxidants like vitamins C and E, lutein, and zinc which are available from health foods or supplements; your doctor can advise on the appropriate choices for you.

Treatments

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease that leads to loss of sharp, central vision. This makes reading, driving and other activities that require straight-ahead vision challenging. While damage caused by AMD is irreparable, treatments exist that may slow its progress. Therefore it is wise to visit a macular degeneration treatment center for an assessment.

Your eye doctor will conduct a comprehensive eye exam to detect signs of macular degeneration. They should look out for blurry or hazy straight-ahead vision, a dark spot in the center of your visual field or distortion of straight objects – any signs could signal early macular degeneration and must be treated as soon as possible for best outcomes. Annual visits with your ophthalmologist allow him/her to detect any changes before it affects vision significantly, therefore making regular check-ups imperative in catching any early-stage disease detection as early detection ensures effective treatment is possible and detected as early as possible allowing best possible treatment outcomes and diagnosis and prevention strategies can then begin immediately.

Your eye doctor will recommend different forms of macular degeneration treatments depending on its cause and severity. Dry macular degeneration involves gradual thinning of retina and pigment epithelial layer, and therefore requires different approaches for treatment. Macular degeneration causes central vision to become less clear while leaving peripheral vision intact. A dilated eye exam is one way to detect dry macular degeneration. Fluorescein angiography, an eye exam which involves injecting yellow dye into your vein and taking photos as it travels through its blood vessels, may also be necessary. Your ophthalmologist may use optical coherence tomography (OCT) laser imaging technology in-office laser to inspect macula for bleeding or leaky new blood vessels that could contribute to wet macular degeneration.

Ophthalmologists offer treatment options for wet macular degeneration by injecting medications to limit blood vessel growth and block leaks that obstruct vision – known as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors. Laser light surgery, an in-office procedure using laser light waves, may also be administered. Wet macular degeneration shares similar symptoms with diabetic macular edema, retinal vein occlusion, and central serous retinopathy;

Preventive Measures

Macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness among older Americans, leading to gradual central (straight-ahead) vision loss as macula deterioration worsens over time. Central vision is essential for reading, driving, recognizing faces and colors accurately, using computer/phone apps effectively, working on smartphones/computers etc. People suffering from dry forms lose it gradually while those experiencing sudden vision loss from wet forms often experience sudden vision loss when abnormal blood vessels burst leaking blood/fluid near macula; although no treatment exists to restore central vision, there are ways you can preserve and adapt your daily lives around low vision levels over time if necessary.

Macular degeneration symptoms include blurry spots in your central vision, dark spots and straight lines that appear wavy. If you suspect macular degeneration early on, it is crucial that you undergo routine eye exams in order to detect any changes to your vision and get timely treatments if necessary. These exams will check for drusen, small yellow protein deposits that form under the retina. Early-on, these clumps may not cause any noticeable symptoms; but as the disease advances, their size will grow larger, potentially leading to blurred or distorted vision. Your doctor will use an ophthalmoscope to inspect the inside of your eyes, possibly placing drops to dilate them so they can see better. They will also use a digital retinal camera to capture images of the macula and search for signs of drusen growth; additionally they may ask about any family histories related to macular degeneration as well as any health conditions you have.

Macular degeneration cannot be avoided altogether, but you can lower your risk by leading a healthy lifestyle. This includes eating foods rich in antioxidants, maintaining an ideal weight and exercising regularly while avoiding smoking and UV light exposure. Vitamin C, E and zinc supplements have been found to slow the progression of macular degeneration while wet macular degeneration cases may benefit from laser surgery to seal off leaky blood vessels and stop further damage to vision.