Though no cure exists for AMD, treatment methods can slow its progress and enhance visual outcomes. These may include taking high-dose vitamins or vitamin supplements; using laser therapy; or receiving injections of anti-angiogenic drugs directly into the eye.

Early symptoms of wet AMD include straight lines appearing crooked. This happens when abnormal blood vessels leak fluid into the macula, scarring it over time and leading to rapid vision loss.

Treatments for Dry AMD

AMD (Age-Related Macular Degeneration) is the most prevalent form. This happens when part of the macula thins over time and tiny protein deposits called drusen form on it, blocking light from reaching the retina and blurring vision gradually over time. Although dry AMD doesn’t cause blindness directly, it may make reading or driving difficult and cause blank patches in your central field of vision which you might notice while looking at objects or people; typically these patches won’t move around and there should be no pain involved either!

Most people with AMD have the dry form, which is less serious than its wet counterpart but can lead to rapid vision loss if left untreated. Wet AMD occurs when new, abnormal blood vessels form and leak blood or fluid under the retina causing further vision damage quickly than dry AMD can do.

If you have wet AMD, immediate treatment must begin. A qualified eye care provider can administer anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs to block new blood vessel growth; these injections typically are made into the vitreous humor in order to stop further vision damage and leakage.

Your eye care professional may recommend laser surgery as another means of treating wet AMD. This procedure entails directing a powerful light beam at any new blood vessels to destroy them; this procedure typically lasts just a short while at their office and should be repeated periodically thereafter for follow up exams.

Studies suggest that taking a mixture of vitamins and minerals could slow the progression of dry form AMD, providing some relief from symptoms more quickly. Your ophthalmologist will advise whether taking nutritional supplements may be suitable for you.

Treatments for Wt AMD

Though neither dry or wet AMD are curable, advances in treatment are helping patients maintain as much vision as possible. Regular eye exams for early detection are critical; therapies work better when started early in the course of disease progression. Therapies currently focus on slowing progression by stopping abnormal blood vessel growth that leak fluid into retina.

Anti-VEGF class drugs, specifically ranibizumab (marketed under Avastin and Susvimo), have significantly broadened our treatment options for wet AMD. Administered as intravitreal injections, these medications have proven successful at stabilizing or improving vision in many individuals as well as decreasing rate of deterioration; some even allow use of low vision aids and devices that may maximize functional independence.

Wet AMD is characterized by abnormal blood vessels known as neovascularization that proliferate into the subretinal space and cause swelling, hemorrhage and scarring leading to permanent vision loss. The transition from dry AMD to wet AMD may occur gradually or it can develop independently.

Wet AMD cannot be prevented; however, a comprehensive eye examination with dilation of pupils and an Amsler grid at home may detect its early signs.

Treatment of wet AMD generally entails repeated monthly injections of anti-VEGF medication to decrease abnormal blood vessel growth that leads to edema or hemorrhage, also known as intravitreal injection. Such injections can significantly decrease risk of vision loss among those living with wet AMD.

Researchers recently made the surprising discovery that AMD reduces peripheral retinal concentration of docosahexaenoic acid 22:6 concentration, thus restricting neuroprotective molecules such as elovanoids in rod photoreceptor cells and potentially opening new avenues for therapy for AMD as well as other serious retinal conditions. These discoveries may open new therapeutic possibilities against AMD as well as other serious eye diseases.

Research suggests that diets rich in certain nutrients, especially carotenoids, may reduce the risk of wet AMD. While more research needs to be conducted into this theory, those at high risk should speak with their healthcare provider regarding possible dietary interventions that might reduce wet AMD risks.

Treatments for Neovascular AMD

AMD degeneration can be broken into two distinct clinical subtypes, known as non-neovascular (dry) and neovascular (wet). Wet AMD results in vision loss due to abnormal blood vessels leaking fluid, leading to retinal hemorrhage and choroidal neovascular membrane formation; it accounts for only a minority of cases but most visual loss due to this disease.

As recommended in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study, progress from dry to wet AMD can be delayed with regular consumption of antioxidant vitamins and zinc supplements as well as nutritional supplements like veratinib (a photosensitizing drug that blocks new blood vessel formation that cause macular edema).

Fluorescein angiography had long been used as the gold standard method to diagnose wet AMD, as this test allows doctors to observe any new neovascularization within the choroid or retina that might leak fluid. After injecting fluorescein dye, a series of photographs would then be captured showing any newly formed neovascularization which leaks fluid, appearing as speckled areas of hyperfluorescence on fluorescein angiography images.

Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) has quickly become the go-to technique for initial diagnosis. This technique provides cross section images of the retina and can detect drusen, retinal edema and fluid accumulation accurately. Furthermore, OCTA can be used to monitor wet AMD by showing an increase in outer retinal layer thickness.

Ophthalmology published a recent study conducted by Arghavan Almony, MD from Carolina Eye Associates PA in Southern Pines NC and his colleagues which demonstrated that fluid accumulation is an independent predictor of vision decline among neovascular AMD patients, supporting the use of simple tests such as clinical exams or OCT imaging to screen patients for wet AMD.

Neovascular AMD treatment options are expanding thanks to long-acting anti-VEGF biologics that may decrease frequency and duration of intravitreal injections. Adverum Biotechnologies Inc, for example, presented nonclinical data at ARVO 2023 in New Orleans demonstrating that staggered bilateral administration of their lead product SB15 (formerly VLTR-5577) demonstrated similar efficacy and safety as aflibercept in its phase III DREAM trial through week 56.

Treatments for Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration occurs when the central portion of retina – a paper-thin layer of neurosensory tissue responsible for translating light into neural signals that the brain interprets as images – slowly loses its ability to function normally, becoming blindness’ leading cause in Americans aged 66 or older according to National Institutes of Health (NIH). At UF Health Ophthalmologists specialize in offering patients treatment options which may slow macular degeneration progression and even restore vision if possible.

Macular degeneration occurs most commonly in its dry form, in which the macula thins as clumps of protein known as drusen grow underneath it and obscure its original function. Over 80% of people living with macular degeneration suffer from dry form macular degeneration.

Ten percent of those with macular degeneration suffer from the wet form, which occurs when new blood vessels start growing underneath the retina and leak fluid or bleed onto it, leading to rapid and severe vision loss.

Treatments exist for wet macular degeneration that can both slow or stop its progress and restore lost vision in some instances. These treatments include medications injected directly into the eye to decrease abnormal blood vessel growth such as bevacizumab (Avastin), Aflibercept, and Ranibizumab (Lucentis), as well as others which target proteins involved in their creation and expansion. Additional drugs that target specific proteins involved with their growth may also be investigated as treatments.

Photodynamic therapy may also be effective against wet AMD. This process uses light combined with medication to kill abnormal blood vessels that contribute to macular degeneration while leaving other healthy cells alone – it may be used alongside anti-VEGF injections or as a standalone treatment option.

As part of your regular dilated eye examinations, regular dilated eye examinations are the key to protecting your vision. Your eye doctor can detect early changes to the retina and give you an Amsler Grid chart which you can use at home to check your vision. If lines appear wavy or distorted it should be reported immediately as this could indicate worsening macular degeneration.