Macular wet degeneration treatments aim to prevent abnormal blood vessels that leak and lead to vision loss from growing, so these procedures require administering monthly injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF).

These medications, including Avastin, Lucentis and Eylea, work by blocking a protein that encourages abnormal blood vessel formation. As such, they have saved the sight of thousands of individuals who would otherwise have gone blind without them.

Injections

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) occurs when abnormal blood vessels form under your retina and leak fluid, damaging its central part and leading to blurry or missing details, especially along straight lines. This form can lead to blurry or missing details in straight lines which can impair vision significantly and impair your central vision, eventually leading to complete blindness in that area of your vision.

Wet AMD can lead to rapid vision loss if left untreated, yet injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections such as ranibizumab (trade name Lucentis) or bevacizumab (Avastin) have proven invaluable in controlling this progression and often improving vision. Such medications have revolutionized treatment of wet macular degeneration and saved thousands from becoming legally blind due to leakage under their retinas before such treatments became available.

At the wet stage of macular degeneration, injections of an anti-VEGF drug may be necessary to stop further damage and maintain current vision levels. Studies have demonstrated that anti-VEGF therapy can slow the rate of vision loss for over 90 percent of patients.

Photodynamic therapy or PDT may offer additional relief to wet AMD sufferers. With this procedure, a special dye is injected into each eye and activated when laser light shines onto the retina – this activation causes Visudyne to destroy leaking abnormal blood vessels more effectively.

In some instances of wet macular degeneration, painless laser treatments may be utilized to destroy abnormal blood vessels that form beneath your retina. This approach may work especially well when new vessels appear with specific, identifiable patterns; laser therapy could also be utilized around any existing leaks in order to treat those areas surrounding existing leakage points.

Recent research has demonstrated that an anti-wet macular degeneration protein known as Apolipoprotein B100 may provide protection by restricting new abnormal blood vessel growth and limiting their leakage. More investigation is currently ongoing to assess whether or not this could serve as a biomarker to better identify patients likely to respond well to certain treatments.

Photodynamic Therapy

Under wet macular degeneration, abnormal blood vessels form beneath the retina and leak fluid that causes it to move from its regular location at the back of the eye to rise off its usual position. These blood vessels are stimulated by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Anti-VEGF injection therapy reduces production of VEGF thus slowing vision loss over time. Anti-VEGF therapy should be performed monthly without adverse side effects or discomfort for most patients.

Dry age-related macular degeneration is characterized by the formation of white or yellow deposits under the retina known as drusen, leading to progressive damage of the central portion of a patient’s vision known as their macula, responsible for straight ahead and fine detail vision. Early signs may include straight lines that appear wavy or the development of blind spots in their field of vision.

Wet macular degeneration occurs due to abnormal blood vessels growing beneath the retina that leak blood and other fluids into light-sensitive tissue in the eye, leading to rapid vision loss. Although less common than its dry counterpart, this form is estimated to affect approximately 10% of those who develop macular degeneration eventually lose their vision from its wet variant.

Wet macular degeneration, also known as neovascular AMD or choroidal neovascularization, can be treated using various medications that work to stop abnormal blood vessel formation in the eye.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a two-step treatment method that uses photosensitizers and light energy to destroy eye cells that produce VEGF, thus protecting against macular degeneration. Photosensitizers are nontoxic drugs until activated by light. Today there are multiple photosensitizers available to treat various diseases of skin, eyes, prostate, esophagus, lung etc. Your doctor may also suggest taking vitamin pills containing antioxidants and zinc supplements as additional preventative measures against dry macular degeneration.

Laser Treatment

Laser treatment can often help patients suffering from wet macular degeneration preserve their sight by targeting abnormal blood vessels that lead to neovascularization, known as wet AMD. Wet AMD may be less prevalent than dry AMD, yet can still lead to severe vision loss; left untreated it could even result in blindness within weeks or months.

Wet macular degeneration occurs when new blood vessels form beneath the retina in the macula area of an eye and leak into it, distorting or blurring straight-ahead vision. If left untreated, these blood vessels could continue to expand rapidly leading to rapid loss of vision – it is therefore imperative that you visit a physician if you experience sudden vision loss.

Wet macular degeneration affects your central vision – that part that allows you to read, drive and recognize fine details – but does not interfere with peripheral (side) vision, so you can still enjoy various activities such as walking or recognising faces.

Though macular degeneration cannot be reversed, a healthy diet and lifestyle can help to slow its progress. Research has proven that taking antioxidant vitamins and zinc can significantly lessen its impact on your vision.

Reducing wet macular degeneration with newer treatments like photodynamic therapy and anti-VEGF injections has proven highly successful, particularly photodynamic therapy and Avastin injections. Photodynamic therapy uses photoactive dye applied directly onto the eye surface activated with laser light; this triggers chemical compounds which occlude abnormal blood vessels within your eye and shut them down, while Avastin has proven itself highly successful at minimizing visual loss due to new blood vessel development.

Recent research indicates that some patients suffering from wet macular degeneration can discontinue monthly injections of Avastin while still enjoying optimal vision correction. Other newer anti-angiogenic agents, like Eylea – an extended-acting anti-angiogenic agent administered every two months instead – have also proven effective. Before setting a timeline for discontinuing injections however, randomized clinical trials in larger patient cohorts must first take place.

Surgery

Surgery may be recommended for certain cases of wet macular degeneration. This involves using painless laser light to destroy abnormal, leaking blood vessels under the retina – this procedure can be carried out in any doctor’s office and should help slow or even improve vision loss; it will not bring back lost vision however.

Age-related macular degeneration occurs when abnormally leaking blood vessels form beneath the retina and scar the macula, impeding its functionality and leading to severe visual loss in people over 50. Wet AMD is the leading cause of severe visual loss among those over 50; unlike dry macular degeneration, which gradually destroys vision through dry macular degeneration; wet AMD quickly leads to central vision loss which makes fine details hard to see clearly and prevents reading or driving safely; it may also create areas with darkened or distorted areas affecting reading or driving capabilities while remaining relatively untouched on peripheral (side vision) vision levels whereas peripheral vision generally remains unchanged while leaving peripheral (side vision) vision largely undamaged.

Wet macular degeneration typically arises following dry age-related macular degeneration for some time. If you notice loss of detail in the central vision, haziness in this region, difficulty adapting to dim lighting conditions or distortion of straight lines, it is advisable to consult an eye care provider immediately for a dilated exam.

Your eye care professional will perform a dilated eye exam using specialized instruments and an Amsler grid chart to detect changes to the macula. If they detect significant drusen growth or abnormal blood vessel leakage, an ocular angiogram will be performed to confirm diagnosis.

Recent years have witnessed extraordinary advances in treating wet macular degeneration, specifically its wet form. Drugs such as Avastin, Lucentis and Eylea have revolutionized how we treat wet macular degeneration; blocking vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which stimulates overgrowth of blood vessels that leak fluid under retina. These medications have transformed how we treat wet macular degeneration and saved many patients who may otherwise have gone legally blind without their availability.