Treatment for AMD involves slowing its progression and protecting vision. As well as taking certain vitamins and minerals.

Under dry form of ARMD, retinal tissue becomes thinner with age and protein deposits known as drusen appear, eventually leading to gradual vision loss in central areas.

Laser Surgery

Laser surgery can help treat wet macular degeneration by targeting new blood vessels growing beneath the retina in the macula and destroying them – thus slowing vision loss in patients diagnosed with wet ARMD.

Your eye doctor can assess wet ARMD by conducting an eye exam. They may inject fluorescein dye into your vein and, as it travels throughout your eye’s blood vessels, a special camera takes pictures of both retina and macula which show if abnormal new blood vessels are growing beneath retinal nerve fiber layers and leaking blood into them. Your ophthalmologist may also use optical coherence tomography which provides detailed images of your retina and macula which help them determine if you have more severe wet form of macular degeneration.

About 80% of those diagnosed with macular degeneration have the dry form, in which parts of the macula become thinner as you age and tiny protein clumps called drusen form in the retina, leading to blurry vision and eventually leading to blind spots in your center field of view. Unfortunately, no cure exists for dry macular degeneration; however, high doses of antioxidant vitamins and zinc have been shown to slow its progression.

For wet AMD, your ophthalmologist may use laser surgery to seal off leaky blood vessels. The procedure typically takes place in office and only lasts a short amount of time; after treatment you must avoid direct sunlight and bright indoor lights for five days post-procedure.

An ophthalmologist will conduct an eye exam to assess if you are suitable for laser surgery. They will check on the health of your eye as well as any health conditions that could impede recovery from laser treatment.

A large study called CAPT investigated whether Krypton laser photocoagulation reduced the risk of severe visual loss from advanced wet AMD. Patients in this cohort underwent CNV treatments at one or multiple centers across their foveal areas of vision (FAZ), including AMD-related, histoplasmosis-related, or idiopathic CNV within 200 microns from FAZ centers; Krypton laser photocoagulation helped obliterate any leaky blood vessels and prevent further vision loss.

Anti-VEGF Injections

Anti-VEGF injections may help slow further vision loss from wet AMD by suppressing new blood vessel growth and slowing fluid leakage. They are administered using an eye dropper. Depending on the type of wet AMD being treated, injections may need to be given more regularly or monthly; laser surgery or stand-in treatments could be administered concurrently or separately as treatments; your eye M.D will discuss all available options with you and suggest one best suited to you.

If you suffer from wet macular degeneration, an ophthalmologist will use a small needle to administer anti-VEGF medications into the back portion of your eye. After cleaning out and prepping for this injection, they may reduce pain and discomfort during and after receiving the shot. Some side effects from this injection may include temporary increases in intraocular pressure or hemorrhaging at injection site site as well as seeing floaters appear; typically these symptoms subside within 24 hours or so.

Anti-VEGF injections are currently the only effective treatment option for neovascular (wet) AMD, though their maximum benefit depends on patient adherence – something which may cause discomfort or lead to poor adherence rates in some individuals. Furthermore, it remains unknown whether such treatments improve long-term visual acuity.

Researchers are exploring ways to enhance the comfort and safety of anti-VEGF injections. One option may include port delivery systems with ranibizumab, recently approved by FDA under brand name Susvimo. An implant can be surgically placed into one eye for up to two years’ continuous release of drug into that eye.

One way to lessen the strain of these treatments is taking oral supplements like lutein and zeaxanthin, which may slow dry macular degeneration progression. Although new, further research will need to be conducted in order to ascertain their effectiveness; other studies are exploring whether certain foods, like blueberries and dark leafy vegetables can lower your risk for AMD.

Vitamin Supplements

Many individuals with dry AMD can benefit from taking nutritional supplements to slow the progression of the disease and even potentially preserve vision in some instances. Your ophthalmologist can suggest appropriate vitamins such as antioxidant vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc and copper; recent research from Age-Related Eye Disease Study II or AREDS2 demonstrated how adding additional nutrients such as lutein, zeaxanthin, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) further reduced risk.

Wet AMD is more aggressive than its dry counterpart and poses a greater threat of permanent vision loss. Some types of wet macular degeneration can be treated using laser surgery to stop abnormal blood vessel growth or bleeding underneath the retina; other wet AMD cases are managed using drugs known as VEGF blocks which block chemicals within our bodies that promote vessel growth; these medications have even been known to reverse or reduce vision loss in some patients with wet AMD.

Researchers are making strides toward understanding what causes macular degeneration and ways to combat it, with studies such as those being conducted on the AREDS supplement and other similar options evaluating them as potential remedies for the eye disease. Researchers hope their studies may someday lead to developing an AMD cure; those at risk should schedule annual eye exams so as to protect their vision from this threat.

Telescopic Lens Implant

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is a degenerative eye condition that gradually weakens central vision, ultimately leading to blindness among older individuals. While no cure exists for AMD, treatments may slow its progress and improve quality of life for affected patients.

Central vision is essential for many daily activities, such as reading, using a computer or smartphone, recognizing faces and colors, driving safely and identifying fine details. The macula on the retina is responsible for this vision; should it fail, blindness is one of the leading causes among US residents over 50. AMD occurs when light-sensing cells break down leading to blurry spots at the center of your vision – most common among Caucasians aged 70+.

AMD begins as a buildup of small deposits called drusen under the retina, usually without causing vision loss; however, if these grow larger and multiple are found in central portions of your retina it could indicate advanced AMD. Other symptoms might include blurry spots appearing in your visual field or straight lines becoming wavy or crooked – both signs that advanced AMD may exist.

At its advanced stages, AMD can lead to abnormal new blood vessel growth under the retina that leaks fluid or blood into the eye, leading to “wet” macular degeneration and rapid blindness in a short amount of time. VISUDYNE (r) therapy stops this leakage by inhibiting abnormal new vessel growth under the retina.

The Telescopic Lens Implant procedure involves implanting an intraocular magnifying lens into the eye to reduce central blind spot caused by macular degeneration and help patients suffering late stage AMD see clearly again. The Royal Victoria Infirmary in London is offering this procedure – making it the first NHS Trust in the UK to do so.