Macular degeneration that progresses to wet form causes abnormal blood vessels to form under the retina and leak blood and fluid, creating vision distortion and blind spots, eventually leading to permanent central vision loss if untreated.

New York University Langone Ophthalmologists can efficiently and effectively detect and treat wet macular degeneration with medication that slows, mitigates or even reverses vision loss. Our specialists utilize tests such as the Amsler grid which shows distortion in straight lines to identify this condition.

Dry Macular Degeneration

Age-Related Macular Degeneration, more commonly known by its acronym AMD, typically progresses slowly; during early stages it may remain stable with minimal vision loss. Drusen deposits form under the retina as macula degenerates, leading to sharp central vision deterioration. Progression usually unfolds slowly. Depending on individual patients and how quickly the disease advances.

Later stages of macular degeneration result in vision gradually worsening to become blurry or with blind spots in the center of one’s field of view. This decline can be attributed to loss of retinal cells that cannot be replaced; what remains is useful for activities like driving, reading and recognizing faces. People with both the wet and dry subtypes of this disease share similar risk factors for advanced macular degeneration – these being age over 50, heredity factors such as smoking habits and having family histories of the condition.

NYU Langone provides comprehensive eye exams that include tests that enable your physician to detect macular degeneration. Drops will be administered to enlarge your pupil, so they can better see retinal pigment epithelium and small deposits called drusen that indicate macular degeneration. They may also use optical coherence tomography (OCT), an imaging scanner used to produce images of the retina which gives an in-depth view of blood vessels beneath it.

If a person suffers from wet macular degeneration, their eye doctor can provide medications to block new abnormal blood vessels by inhibiting chemical substances that encourage their formation. Lucentis, Avastin and Eylea can all be injected directly into the eye where they work by blocking proteins like VEGF which leads to new vessel growth. Photodynamic therapy uses another drug known as verteporfin injection followed by laser closure of abnormal vessels for optimal results.

Researchers are developing treatments for wet AMD that target an important protein in the complement system. Clinical trials for these drugs could potentially slow progression of wet macular degeneration and even restore vision in those who have already lost it.

Wet Macular Degeneration

Wet macular degeneration, also known as Neovascular AMD or exudative macular degeneration, occurs when abnormal blood vessels form under the retina and leak blood and fluid, leading to scarring that leads to rapid central vision loss. While less prevalent than dry macular degeneration, wet macular degeneration requires urgent medical treatment by an expert in order to avoid irreparable vision loss.

When wet macular degeneration occurs, you may notice dark spots or wavy lines in your central vision. Straight lines may appear wavy or misshapen; and you may have difficulty adapting to dim light settings. People suffering from wet macular degeneration typically experience more rapid vision loss than those suffering from dry macular degeneration.

Your eye doctor will conduct tests for wet macular degeneration by inspecting the back of your eye with special lenses or optical coherence tomography (OCT). They may recommend fluorescein angiography – injecting dye into one eye before scanning the retina – in order to identify leaky blood vessels within your macula that need sealing off with laser therapy.

Your eye care provider may prescribe anti-VEGF injections such as Lucentis (Ranibizumab), Eylea (Aflibercept) or Beovu (brolucizumab) in order to decrease abnormal blood vessel growth that leads to wet macular degeneration and reduce risk of vision loss. These medications must be injected monthly into each eye for best results; while partially effective they require frequent injections that may become inconvenient over time.

Studies are ongoing to find treatments that will be more effective and require fewer injections, however in the meantime it’s essential that you follow your physician’s advice about dietary changes, exercise and maintaining normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels. You should also ask about participating in clinical trials that offer newer solutions for wet macular degeneration.

Early Detection

Macular degeneration often has no noticeable symptoms in its early stages, making it hard for individuals to know if something is amiss. As it progresses however, people may start noticing that straight lines appear distorted or blurry and central vision has been lost; additionally they might encounter dark or empty areas within their visual field or difficulty seeing at night or with dim lighting conditions.

If an individual notices any of these changes, they should consult an eye doctor immediately. Regular eye exams can detect macular degeneration early and recommend treatments that could delay or even stop further vision loss. Supplementing with vitamins C, E, zinc copper and beta carotene could also prove beneficial.

Macular degeneration can best be diagnosed through a comprehensive eye exam that includes retinal testing. At this appointment, the eye doctor will dilate your pupil and use a special magnifying lens to carefully examine your retina and macula for signs of macular degeneration – including deposits of drusen that indicate early stage macular degeneration. Additional tests include an eye chart using numbers to test for vision as well as optical coherence tomography to create images of retina and macula structures.

As part of the eye exam, your eye doctor may also ask you to examine an Amsler grid – a checkerboard-like pattern with straight lines resembling an X. When looking at this grid with one eye closed and staring through another with both, distortion or wavy lines that could signal wet macular degeneration may occur.

Macular degeneration cannot yet be cured, but treatment may delay its progression and enhance quality of life for affected individuals. Early diagnosis and intervention with wet form macular degeneration treatment can significantly lower blindness risks among high risk populations.

Treatments

Age Related Macular Degeneration can result in dry forms whereby drusen accumulate beneath the retina and eventually cause retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) function to diminish, leading to areas of dark pigment clumping or geographic atrophy in regions surrounding central vision which causes blurriness or blind spots; nevertheless central vision remains essential for tasks like driving and recognizing faces.

Regular visits to your eye doctor using an Amsler grid are necessary for early detection. If straight lines appear wavy or disappear altogether, this may indicate fluid build-up underneath your retina which could eventually result in permanent central vision loss.

Wet macular degeneration occurs due to abnormal blood vessels growing beneath the retina that leak blood or fluid into the macula, ultimately destroying it and leading to severe vision loss.

People with large drusen, multiple small drusen that run together or focal pigmentation are more prone to wet macular degeneration due to an increased risk for choroidal neovascularization (CNV), in which abnormal new blood vessels form under the retina causing leakage and expansion, ultimately resulting in macular damage and vision loss.

Research suggests that eating more leafy green vegetables, nuts and fish may help slow the progression of AMD. Therefore it is important to discuss this diet with your eye care provider and discover which vitamins could be helpful.

There are various medications available that may slow or stop the progression of wet macular degeneration, by restricting or blocking new blood vessel formation and/or destroying existing ones. Furthermore, some doctors have discovered laser treatments can also be effective at slowing vision loss in those suffering from wet macular degeneration – this involves injecting medication directly into one eye followed by shining low-power laser light onto retina for treatment.