Macular degeneration, also known as macular atrophy, refers to the progressive degradation or breakdown of your retina’s central region known as the macula. As this condition advances it causes blurring in your central vision making reading or driving difficult and faces harder to recognize among other things.

Reduce your risk of AMD by eating foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin – two natural pigments found in fruits and vegetables.

Dry Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration occurs when the macula becomes thinner or breaks down, causing central vision to blur and distort over time. At first, symptoms may not be noticeable due to slow progress; most risk factors for dry macular degeneration include age, family history, race/ethnicity and smoking; while its exact cause remains unknown although deposits of fatty waste and minerals called “drusen” could play a part in its progression – often both eyes being affected at various rates but progression being managed with regular eye exams and eating foods rich in antioxidants (see below).

Macular degeneration affects approximately 85% of those affected, most commonly with its dry form. Over time, however, retinal damage will lead to permanent loss of central vision. Therefore it is vital for patients with macular degeneration to regularly check their own macular health by holding an Amsler grid like that shown below in front of each eye and looking for straight lines that have become wavy or missing; any new distortion or blank areas should be reported immediately as a sign that their disease has progressed rapidly.

Recent research suggests that certain vitamins and nutritional supplements could aid in delaying dry macular degeneration progression, including vitamins C and E, lutein and zeaxanthin. Vitamin K2 can be found naturally in many fruits and vegetables, especially dark green varieties such as kale, collards and spinach; it may also be taken in supplement form. The AREDS study showed that these nutrients significantly slowed the rate of macular degeneration progression for people with moderate dry AMD. To reap maximum benefit from vitamins and supplements recommended by your physician for treatment. Rarely, photodynamic therapy may be recommended as an effective and non-painful solution to vision decline. This involves laser light dissolving abnormal blood vessels that leak fluid or blood beneath the retina, potentially slowing its rate of decline and potentially improving overall vision quality.

Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AAMD)

Macular degeneration is a condition in which the macula, the central area of your retina that allows you to see fine details clearly and directly ahead, degrades over time. This area plays a pivotal role for activities like driving, reading, threading needles and distinguishing colors; additionally it plays an integral part in maintaining peripheral or side vision. Macular degeneration typically affects both eyes at once but progresses at different rates between eyes; it can be divided into two distinct categories – dry macular degeneration and wet macular degeneration.

Age related macular degeneration, commonly referred to as dry AMD, occurs when abnormal deposits known as drusen accumulate under the retina. Over time these deposits can lead to central vision loss while your peripheral (side) vision remains undisturbed. To slow its progress and keep vision intact you should take antioxidant vitamins regularly, maintain a healthy diet, and have regular eye exams.

Neovascular AMD, or wet macular degeneration, occurs when new blood vessels grow into and leak fluid into the macula, leading to rapid vision loss that may impact either eye. To halt or slow its progress, injections preventing abnormal blood vessel growth are an option that may slow or stop this form of macular degeneration.

Lowering your risk of wet macular degeneration involves taking various steps, such as lowering cholesterol, stopping smoking and using sun protection. You could also consider supplementation such as lutein and zeaxanthin which could be beneficial in protecting eye health.

Macular degeneration is an incurable, painless disease that gradually erodes central vision – the kind you need for driving, reading and recognising faces – making daily tasks like driving or reading increasingly challenging. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of legal blindness in America and often affects both eyes simultaneously; once established it can be very hard to recover lost vision; early diagnosis and treatment may slow its progress if not even reverse it altogether.

Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration (WAMD)

Wet age-related macular degeneration occurs when fluid and blood accumulate under the macula due to new, abnormal blood vessels growing under it, often breaking open and leaking fluid, blurring central vision and distorting central perception. Wet macular degeneration tends to progress more quickly and cause significant vision loss compared to its dry counterpart, although permanent blindness remains rare and most people still retain peripheral (side) vision despite rapid progression.

Wet AMD affects approximately 10-15% of patients suffering macular degeneration. It occurs when normal eye cells start breaking down and clumping together into drusen deposits under the retina, gradually thinninng it over time. As these drusen deposits spread to thin out more retinal layers, their effect causes blood vessels to grow as an attempt at providing nourishment to thinned retina. Unfortunately, many of these new blood vessels leak or break apart over time, scarring of macula, and eventually central vision loss.

There are now therapies available to treat wet AMD, such as injection of anti-VEGF medications into the eye. These anti-VEGF medicines stop abnormal blood vessel growth that leads to wet macular degeneration. Treatment may need to continue over time depending on its stage; continued management of abnormal blood vessels may be necessary in order to keep them under control.

Laser surgery can also help treat wet macular degeneration by dissolving abnormal blood vessels with high energy beams of light aimed directly at the eye to destroy leaky and fragile blood vessels that contribute to it. While laser treatment can destroy healthy tissues as well as vision, so it is wise to visit an eye care provider first for evaluation and appropriate treatment plans.

Symptoms

Macular degeneration results in loss of central vision, or the ability to see fine details. It affects the macula in the back of the eye that allows us to see straight ahead while driving or reading, becoming blurry or hazy and colors seeming less vibrant; but your peripheral (side) vision generally stays intact so that you can continue driving safely and taking care of yourself.

Wet macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels form beneath the retina and leak fluid and blood into the macula, causing loss of vision more quickly than with dry macular degeneration. While less common than its dry counterpart, wet macular degeneration can progress more quickly leading to quicker vision impairment. If you encounter dark spots or changes to the intensity of colors in your central vision, or notice changes to their intensity, seek medical assistance immediately. An Amsler grid examination can help your doctor detect these changes more easily. Fluorescein angiography can also help assess retinal blood vessels. For this, a safe orange-red dye will be injected into one of your veins in your arm before being tracked by a special camera as it travels through retinal blood vessels.

Macular degeneration occurs gradually over time and causes blurred distance or straight-ahead vision, with colors becoming less vibrant over time. Over time, central vision becomes increasingly blurry as macular degeneration progresses – especially among people who have drusen (small deposits of yellow or white fatty proteins under their retina) deposits known as drusen that deposit protein beneath their retina – leading to advanced macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration doesn’t lead to total blindness, and you could potentially halt its progress by increasing intake of vitamins C and E, lutein and zeaxanthin in your diet. Speak to Dr. Richlin OD & Associates optometrist about taking these supplements; your optometrist may prescribe medications to shrink abnormal blood vessels that leak damaging fluid and stop leaks that damage macula cells; laser treatment could even help reduce or prevent their appearance and improve central vision.