Treatment For Macular Degeneration Eye Disease

Dry macular degeneration cannot be treated, but taking an anti-oxidant and zinc supplement may slow its progress. Regular examinations by an ophthalmologist will enable early identification of any vision changes and to keep vision changes under control.

Wet AMD occurs when fluid from new blood vessels leaks out and lifts the macula, leading to loss of central vision and leading to straight lines appearing wavy or blurry. There are various treatment options for wet AMD.

Injections

Macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive eye condition. It occurs when damage to the central area of retina called macula occurs, leading to blurry or blinding straight-ahead vision. While there is no cure, certain anti-VEGF medications can help slow its progress and save vision; such drugs include bevacizumab, ranibizumab, pegaptanib and aflibercept.

Injections of these medications help prevent wet AMD, in which abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina forming leaks that damage macula tissue resulting in severe vision loss.

Ophthalmologists typically administer injections for wet AMD to help slow its progression and enhance vision; however, these injections cannot reverse any damage done in the past. Therefore, it’s essential that regular visits to your eye doctor and following any instructions provided are maintained.

New research suggests that too much injection of the anti-VEGF drug bevacizumab could unwittingly trigger glaucoma. The CATT Study followed participants for one year after they received intravitreal injections of bevacizumab to treat exudative (wet) AMD; visits included established tests of visual acuity administered by examiners masked to treatment assignment, examination by CATT ophthalmologists, retinal photographs/OCT scans that were graded by graders located throughout reading centers; plus retinal photos/OCT scans assessed by graders in central reading centers.

Study results revealed that patients receiving seven or more injections a year of bevacizumab had an increased risk of needing glaucoma surgery, according to research published in March’s JAMA Ophthalmology journal.

Sonal Tuli, M.D., chair of UF Health’s department of ophthalmology and her team have developed a process to restore central vision in patients suffering from wet AMD. By implanting a miniature telescope into each eye and magnifying images that would normally appear directly ahead (central vision) onto healthy areas of retina that still function, patients with wet AMD can regain central vision allowing them to see objects or activities otherwise difficult or impossible.

Laser Surgery

Eye care professionals may treat wet AMD by shining a laser light beam onto abnormal blood vessels to destroy them, this procedure being conducted either at your doctor’s office or eye clinic and typically taking less than an hour to complete. Eye care providers generally suggest this treatment option for people whose new blood vessels have formed close together or within their macula; it may not be as successful in those with scattered vessels located outside this central region of maculas.

Goal of this treatment: Slow the progression of wet AMD. Laser surgery works best when combined with anti-VEGF drugs or ranibizumab injections to slow abnormal blood vessel growth and leakage; laser surgery itself reduces new blood vessel formation while simultaneously slowing their leakage; however, neither method restore lost vision due to wet AMD.

Researchers from the University of Melbourne have developed a more effective laser to destroy blood vessels in retina, the light-detecting tissue at the back of your eye. Unlike previous treatments, this laser does not damage surrounding healthy tissue and is therefore safer.

Study participants had macular degeneration at either its early (“dry”) or advanced stages (“wet”). Researchers compared this treatment with one where no laser therapy was received; those treated experienced less visual loss overall than untreated patients.

AMD currently does not have a cure, but several treatments can slow its progression. Early detection is key and that’s why annual checkups are recommended; getting these exams allows doctors to catch problems before they worsen and take measures to decrease vision loss as soon as they arise. A diet rich in dark leafy greens, yellow fruits and sources of protein such as fish can also help slow AMD.

Photodynamic Therapy

Although AMD cannot be treated, treatment can help protect vision from further loss. Treatment options available to you may include vitamins, anti-angiogenesis drugs and laser therapy to slow its progress and preserve sight. Your ophthalmologist will help determine which treatments best suit your particular condition.

The macula is an essential component of your retina (light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye) responsible for providing sharp central vision. As macular degeneration gradually damages this area, you may begin experiencing symptoms such as straight lines becoming wavy or blurry and colors becoming less vibrant as well as blind spots forming at the center of your vision. Most people with dry macular degeneration experience these changes gradually over time.

Wet macular degeneration occurs when your retina produces new, abnormal blood vessels that leak fluid and cause your macula to rise from its usual position at the back of your eye, leading to rapid loss of central vision and more aggressive treatment than its dry counterpart.

Researchers conducted the CATT study and discovered that certain medications can be useful in mitigating vision loss from wet AMD. These medications target the protein known as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) which induces new blood vessels to form; when administered via eye injection they can lower risk and increase visual acuity.

Photodynamic therapy is an in-office procedure in which verteporfin, an injectable medication, is injected into your arm and transported directly to any new blood vessels in your eye. Once there, this non-thermal laser light activates it; this destroys new vessels while not harming healthy retina or tissues nearby. The procedure usually takes around 20 minutes and should be relatively painless; five days post treatment it is best to stay indoors to minimize exposure to direct sunlight or bright indoor lighting.

UF Health has pioneered an experimental procedure called CentraSight implant that is currently used on patients at University of Florida as well as throughout the United States with wet macular degeneration. This implant is placed inside your eye and projects magnified images onto healthy portions of retina that still provide good central vision, providing magnified views onto these healthy portions. Patients using this device have reported positive experiences.

Medications

As dry macular degeneration progresses, you will likely begin to notice changes to your vision – you might notice straight lines appear wavy or the center of your field of vision becomes dark or empty.

The macula is an area located at the back of your retina that helps you see fine details and colors with clarity. Comprised of millions of light-sensing cells, which send visual impulses directly to the brain which interprets them into images for interpretation, the macula plays an integral part in reading, driving and recognising faces.

AMD affects the macula, causing blurry or distorted vision that makes reading and driving impossible, though peripheral vision remains intact. However, AMD does not cause blindness as your peripheral vision remains undisturbed.

Medication may slow the progression of dry macular degeneration and improve your quality of life by delaying its effects and slowing the loss of central vision. Starting treatment early is essential as the earlier it is detected, the more effective treatments become. A combination of vitamins, antioxidants, and anti-angiogenesis drugs may slow down this disease while prolonging central vision preservation for longer.

Wet macular degeneration progresses more quickly than its dry form and can quickly lead to serious vision loss. It happens when abnormal blood vessels leak fluid behind the retina, damaging it and lifting it out of its usual position at the back of your eye causing distortion of vision and lifting of retina from its original position at back. Without prompt treatment wet AMD may lead to permanent loss of your central vision.

Drug injections to inhibit blood vessel growth are the go-to treatment for wet AMD, such as Avastin, Lucentis, and Eylea. Laser surgery may also be employed; in this procedure a high energy beam of light is directed toward leaky blood vessels to destroy them; however these methods are less successful when treating advanced cases when abnormalities lie close or within your fovea (center of retina).