Macular degeneration is a condition in which blurry vision in the center of your visual field makes it more difficult to drive, recognize faces or read.

Degeneration occurs when fluid builds up beneath your retina (the layer that senses light) and destroys light-sensitive cells in your macula. There are two forms of macular degeneration: dry and wet.

Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (DAMD)

The macula lies at the back of each eye and contains millions of light-sensing cells, and when macular degeneration progresses it causes gradual loss of central vision. About 90 percent of those diagnosed with macular degeneration have dry age-related macular degeneration (DAMD); in some instances this condition may progress into wet age related macular degeneration (WAMD), in which abnormal blood vessels grow beneath retina and leak blood and fluid, quickly degrading vision and leading to rapid decline.

Recently, researchers explored the effects of anti-VEGF injections on macular atrophy among patients who had one eye with nAMD and one with dAMD, both with an asymmetric form. Their retrospective cohort analysis included 248 eyes from 124 participants. Analysis was done using near-infrared reflectance imaging and spectral-domain OCT to track macular atrophy over time. This study was divided into three groups; the first had no baseline atrophy and focused on timing of atrophy detection; while asymmetric nAMD with an emphasis on time course atrophy was analyzed in another group; finally nAMD and dAMD comparisons within-subject were examined separately in another. Results from the study demonstrated that treated non-AMD eyes demonstrate less macular atrophy when both eyes are followed simultaneously than untreated dAMD eyes. Within-subject comparison revealed a lack of correlation between anti-VEGF injections and atrophy area, suggesting they do not accelerate macular atrophy progression. Future works should aim at uncovering factors contributing to any observed asymmetry as well as investigating neovascularization’s protective potential against geographic atrophy growth.

Intermediate Age-Related Macular Degeneration (IAMD)

At its onset, AMD manifests itself in two stages. In its initial stage – or “dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)”, people typically experience very few symptoms and no loss of central vision. Therefore, regular eye exams become vitally important during this stage, so that your eye doctor can detect early warning signs.

Early AMD occurs when your retina thins as you age and clumps of protein called drusen form beneath it, leading to blurry central vision that becomes fuzzy and wavy or fuzzy printed words or straight lines appear wavy or fuzzy, although you’re still able to perceive your surroundings, though some things might become difficult to see clearly.

Early stage dry AMD cannot be treated, so regular visits to your ophthalmologist are vital in order to detect any changes in vision and address them as soon as they arise. They can also assist in managing your risk factors for AMD such as smoking, diet and genetics.

There is no definitive treatment to halt early stage dry AMD, but lifestyle adjustments may slow its progress. We suggest adopting healthy habits such as following a balanced diet, exercising regularly and stopping smoking to minimize further progression. Ocular coherence tomography (OCT), an FDA-approved noninvasive test can detect the presence of drusen or pigment changes in your retina; detect any new blood vessels leaking fluid and damaging vision known as wet macular degeneration; as well as highlight patterns of leaky vessels in your macula as well as decrease vision caused by leaky vessels. Finally fundus fluorescein angiography allows doctors to highlight patterns of leaky blood vessel in your eye that cause decrease in vision – saving lives!

Late Age-Related Macular Degeneration (LAMD)

The macula is the central portion of our retina that enables us to see fine detail, drive, read and use computers, recognize faces, colors and objects, distinguish straight lines from crooked ones and distinguish straight from crooked lines. Age related macular degeneration (ARMD), an eye disease which affects macula cells over time and leads to reduced central vision is noncurable but early diagnosis and treatment can significantly slow its progress; estimated that ARMD accounts for 5% of worldwide blindness cases.

There are two forms of macular degeneration associated with age: “dry” and “wet”. Dry macular degeneration happens when parts of your macula become thinner with age, leading to tiny clumps of protein known as drusen forming under your retina and progressing slowly; you should still be able to see well. Wet macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels form beneath your retina that leak blood and fluid into your macula and cause it to lose central vision – this type of macular degeneration develops much faster and may even lead to sudden vision loss.

New medications exist that may help slow the progress of wet macular degeneration and even help you regain some lost vision, known as anti-VEGF injections. They work by inhibiting new abnormal blood vessels from growing into leaky or scarred macula regions causing leakage or scarring, making these injections available through your eye care provider and potentially helping restore some lost sight. These injections may be taken in the office setting with regular eye exams, vitamin therapy and quitting smoking as additional ways of mitigating macular degeneration from worsening so please consult your eye doctor or eye care provider regarding these new treatment options!

Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AAMD)

Macular degeneration is one of the main causes of irreversible blindness among adults aged 60 or over in Western countries, destroying central vision required for reading, driving and recognising faces but leaving peripheral (side) vision unaffected. This condition occurs when retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells start breaking down along with outer layers of macula to cause blurred or dim central vision which becomes increasingly noticeable over time – it remains one of the major public health concerns today.

Early stage symptoms of AMD tend to be subtle and mild. As it progresses, however, its symptoms become increasingly obvious – patients may notice distortion or dark areas in their central vision, though they still retain useful peripheral vision. By late stage AMD patients can expect noticeable drusen formation with possible significant central vision loss; additionally this disease has two forms; dry being responsible for 90 percent of severe vision loss while wet representing only 10%.

The wet form of AMD is caused by abnormal blood vessels growing under the retina that leak blood and fluid into the macula, slowly and gradually. Patients suffering with wet late stage AMD often still retain some useful central vision; no treatment exists, though ophthalmologists may provide low-vision devices, visual rehabilitation programs, and regular visits to their office as strategies to cope with vision loss. Furthermore, advanced imaging tests such as optical coherence tomography or fluorescein angiography may be performed to assess severity of disease as well as detect changes to macula or detect changes to macula cells themselves.

Types of Treatments

Macular degeneration affects the central part of your eye that sees fine details like straight lines and faces, making it hard for you to read, drive or recognize people’s faces. At first you may not notice any change; but as it progresses you may begin experiencing blurriness or dark spots; eventually your central vision could disappear completely while peripheral (side) vision continues functioning normally.

There are two forms of macular degeneration, dry and wet. Dry AMD occurs when the retina at the back of the eye begins to thin due to age-related macular degeneration; as tiny protein clumps known as drusen form over time this causes macular tissue to thin further. Wet macular degeneration occurs when abnormally-growing blood vessels leak fluid underneath the macula, leading to vision loss very rapidly if left untreated. While less common than its dry counterpart, wet AMD can lead to significant vision loss over time if left untreated – potentially leading to severe vision loss quickly over time if left untreated!

Wet AMD can be effectively treated through medication injected directly into the eye and/or laser surgery that seals off abnormal blood vessels that leak, both of which can slow down loss of central vision and improve quality of life.

Visit your doctor regularly so they can detect any changes in your vision, using an Amsler grid chart to track subtle shifts. They may also inject harmless orange-red dye through veins in your arm which travels to blood vessels in your retina – this test, known as Fluorescein Angiography, is used to detect any abnormal blood vessels that could be leaking fluid into macula areas of vision loss.