Treatment for AMD typically entails both lifestyle and medical interventions designed to slow progression of the condition and potentially help restore some lost vision.

AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) occurs when the macula, located at the central part of the retina, gradually thins with age and leads to blurry vision. There are two forms of AMD: dry and wet.

Early Detection

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) gradually destroys central vision needed for reading, driving and seeing colors – the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in older adults. But recent developments show promise in slowing its progress while saving sight in some patients.

AMD develops when yellow deposits known as drusen form under the retina–a light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Over time, these deposits kill off retinal cells, leading to blurred or distorted central vision as well as possible blind spots. AMD often progresses gradually, which means patients may not notice. For this reason, individuals over 50 should get regular eye exams, particularly if there is a family history of AMD.

Dry AMD symptoms typically include blurry or wavy vision in a central area. Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels form beneath the retina and leak blood or fluid into it, lifting up macula and distorting straight lines, leaving behind blind spots in its path.

Treatment for wet AMD involves stopping the formation of new abnormal blood vessels to prevent further vision loss. Your doctor may use medication directly into your eye, or laser surgery may be performed to target abnormal vessels using laser beams. Anti-VEGF agents used during such procedures include Bevacizumab, Ranibizumab, and Pegaptanib as medications to do this work.

Researchers at UF Health have developed an effective method for detecting abnormal fibrosis associated with wet AMD, and may help doctors better identify which patients are at high risk of vision loss. While there is no known cure, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and not smoking can greatly lower your risk. Regular eye exams with pupil dilation screenings can detect the early onset of AMD. Consult your ophthalmologist about scheduling one every one to two years or sooner if changes in vision appear.

Diagnosis

AMD occurs when the macula, found at the back of your eye, begins to break down, leading to blurriness in your central vision. The macula helps us see fine details such as straight lines or faces clearly in front of us; its failure can hinder reading, driving and other activities requiring central vision. When advanced AMD becomes present it can make reading, driving and other activities that rely on central vision difficult or impossible altogether.

There are two primary forms of AMD: Dry Macular Degeneration and Wet Macular Degeneration. With Dry AMD, yellow deposits known as drusen accumulate under the retina. At first they’re harmless; as time progresses they become larger and cause greater damage until retinal cells can no longer function as expected and central vision loss occurs (intermediate AMD).

As AMD advances, retinal cells may die rapidly and cause sudden vision loss (advanced macular degeneration). With wet AMD, abnormal blood vessels begin to form under the retina and leak fluid which further damages macula tissue. For wet AMD, anti-VEGF drugs administered with an extremely fine needle injection is often effective; laser surgery can also be utilized by your surgeon to reduce growth of abnormal vessels and slow any leakage of fluid into macula cells. For treatment options for wet AMD including wet AMD injections anti-VEGF drugs as an injection is another possible route as is laser surgery to slow growth and reduce leaking fluid leakage from damaged retinal cells as wet AMD progresses further downhill; for wet AMD abnormal blood vessels begin growing under retina and leak fluid from macula cells leading to macula damage and rapid vision loss over time; anti-VEGF injections administered through very fine needles injected into your eye is another option along with shining laser light directly at these abnormal blood vessels reduce their growth while slow any potential fluid leakage.

UF Health has devised an effective procedure that may restore some lost vision in wet AMD patients. A team of specialists from UF Health have trained to perform the revolutionary CentraSight telescope implant procedure. This implantable telescopic device magnifies images that would normally appear in your central vision, such as faces, street signs or books. Please keep in mind that this treatment is experimental and does not treat or stop progression of AMD. However, patients who undergo surgery can still live a fulfilling lives with this new device. Patients who reap the most benefit from this surgery include those who have a strong support network around them as well as an informed knowledge about their condition and keep a positive mindset about it all.

Treatment

Macular degeneration deteriorates the central vision needed for tasks such as reading, driving and recognising faces. It may start out mildly and result in blurry or distorted vision before becoming severe enough to lead to loss of central vision altogether. Diseased macula, or the area of retina that provides clear central vision, deteriorates over time. There are two forms of macular degeneration: dry and wet. Dry AMD is more prevalent and occurs when your macula thins with age, and tiny protein deposits known as drusen begin to form over time, gradually leading to vision loss in central areas. Wet AMD, on the other hand, can occur more rapidly. Abnormal new blood vessels grow under your retina that leak blood or fluid into your macula, leading to rapid vision loss that can quickly affect everyday activities.

Scientists believe that early diagnosis can halt or even reverse macular degeneration through various therapies, including taking high-dose formulations of antioxidants and zinc which have been proven to slow its progression, laser surgery, or having annual eye exams with an Amsler grid so your eye care professional can check for signs of the disease.

Some patients suffering from wet AMD can benefit from anti-VEGF therapy, an injectable medication administered directly into the eye (usually given monthly). This therapy works by blocking an action taken by proteins within your body to encourage abnormal new blood vessel formation – leading to wet macular degeneration. Multiple injections must be given monthly with your eye numbed prior to each one; it doesn’t cure wet AMD but will significantly slow further vision loss while in some cases actually improving vision! To optimize success with anti-VEGF therapy it’s essential that all recommended treatments are completed for maximum effect – it won’t cure wet AMD but could significantly delay further vision loss while in some cases actually improving it! For patients living with wet macular degeneration it’s vitally important that follow up regularly with their doctors and take all recommended treatments and follow their advice closely and complete all recommended treatments and follow any recommendations given from their physicians to get optimal results!

Prevention

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is an incurable, progressive eye disease that gradually takes away central vision. Affecting the retina – a paper-thin tissue which lines the back of your eye that detects images – AMD eventually leads to blurred or dimmed central vision that makes reading or driving impossible, leading to blind spots, as well as difficulty reading or driving books or letters. Most often it affects people over 50 while leaving peripheral vision intact.

No cure exists for AMD; however, you can slow its progress through diet, regular exercise and visits to your ophthalmologist. Furthermore, those who stop smoking and consume diets rich in nutrients such as fish and leafy green vegetables have lower risks of AMD development.

Dry AMD is an early stage of AMD where there is no visible loss of vision. At this stage, however, retinal pigment epithelium cells begin to thin and die off, leading to the formation of drusen deposits which over time grow larger and blur your vision.

As the disease advances to its intermediate or late stages, vision becomes blurred and straight lines appear bent. At this stage of disease progression, people can still live independently as they still possess enough peripheral vision to get around and complete most activities independently. An ophthalmologist may recommend nutritional therapy to provide antioxidant vitamins and minerals to protect the eyes further against further damage.

Wet macular degeneration (WMD) is less prevalent and occurs when blood vessels in the retina leak fluid into the macula, leading to distortion in central vision. At UF Health Ophthalmologists can help treat wet AMD by injecting medicine directly into the eye which blocks abnormal blood vessel growth and slows any leakage; laser surgery is sometimes successful at eliminating abnormal vessels as well.

UF Health’s Ophthalmology department now has more tools than ever to diagnose macular degeneration earlier and more accurately, but these advances cannot help those unaware or undiagnosed with AMD. The best way to avoid vision loss due to AMD is visiting your ophthalmologist regularly and becoming informed of its symptoms and treatments.