Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a progressive eye condition that gradually causes central vision loss, is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness among industrialized countries.

Initial symptoms of macular degeneration include blurry vision that gradually worsens over time. Dry macular degeneration occurs when the retina thins and tiny yellow protein deposits called “drusen” form beneath it. For more severe forms, wet macular degeneration occurs when new blood vessels grow under the retina and begin leaking blood and fluid.

Risk Factors

Macular degeneration remains poorly understood; its exact cause remains elusive, although deposits of fatty waste and minerals known as drusen may play a part. If these accumulate beneath the retina they can lead to macula thinning and loss of central vision; caucasians are most prone to this form of macular degeneration as are people with certain risk factors such as age, family history of macular degeneration, smoking, cardiovascular disease and obesity being at greater risk.

Most macular degeneration sufferers experience its “dry” form. In early stages, symptoms may be mild or nonexistent; when progression reaches intermediate or late stage stages, straight lines may appear crooked and central vision may begin to decline; eventually a blind spot can develop.

Although dry macular degeneration cannot be reversed, certain lifestyle factors can help delay its progression. Maintaining good blood pressure levels, eating nutritiously and not smoking are all effective in lowering the chances of getting it. Furthermore, regular visits to an ophthalmologist will allow early diagnosis of the condition so steps can be taken to limit vision loss.

Around 10% of those diagnosed with macular degeneration develop an aggressive form known as wet macular degeneration. Here, abnormal blood vessels form underneath the retina and leak fluid into the macula, leading to rapid and severe vision loss.

Symptoms of wet macular degeneration include distortion of straight lines and sudden loss of central vision. One effective method to detect this form of AMD is through performing a grid check test; your doctor will ask you to focus on a small target from one foot away while monitoring any distortion to straight lines in their line scans.

Treatment options for wet macular degeneration tend to be less effective than those available for its dry counterpart, however new therapies such as photodynamic therapy have proven more successful at slowing vision loss or improving it altogether. This treatment involves injecting dye into one eye and taking pictures as it absorbs into retina, before using laser to destroy leaking blood vessels to stop further damage to vision.

Symptoms

Macular degeneration (also called age-related macular degeneration [ARMD]), is a progressive condition which devastates central vision – the area used for reading, driving and seeing fine details – leading to blindness among Americans over 50. It’s caused by damage to an area of retina called macula; symptoms begin near the center of your vision and gradually widen over time; peripheral (side) vision remains undamaged but central vision becomes cloudy over time; people with dry macular degeneration develop deposits known as drusen beneath retina – helping doctors determine which stage of disease an individual may be in.

Early stages of dry macular degeneration often show no symptoms and vision appears normal, while as the disease advances it begins to thin retinal tissues resulting in the formation of drusen, tiny yellow protein deposits under the retina that build up over time and eventually become larger over time. Early AMD symptoms do not interfere with daily life nor cause discomfort; no pain associated with early AMD stages is expected during this stage.

As their condition worsens, people begin to observe that straight lines appear wavy or bent as retinal cells die off, as well as difficulty adapting to changing light conditions, such as when transitioning from bright to dim environments or during sunrise and sunset. Furthermore, colors may seem muted due to an impaired macula not picking up all details as easily.

At this stage of their disease, some individuals develop wet macular degeneration (also referred to as Neovascular AMD). This condition occurs when abnormal blood vessels form under the retina and leak fluid into the macula, leading to rapid and severe vision loss. People suffering from wet macular degeneration can sometimes be treated using injections of special medication and photodynamic therapy laser treatments; both can slow the progression of vision loss significantly.

Diagnosis

Macular degeneration affects the center of your visual field, making it hard for you to read, drive a car or thread needles. It is caused by gradual breakdown and thinning of the macula (part of retina that detects fine details in center vision), leading to blurry central vision that worsens with low light conditions. Macular degeneration may progress into its wet form where abnormal blood vessels grow under retina leaking fluid that eventually causes severe vision loss; most patients with macular degeneration experience dry form instead where yellow deposits called drusen form underneath retina; most likely with no pain associated with wet form either, typically followed by blurry central vision worsened with low light conditions causing severe vision loss; many cases never progress beyond being diagnosed symptom.

Wet macular degeneration is much less prevalent and typically results from blood vessels growing beneath the retina and leaking blood and fluid, leading to blurring or distortion of central vision. While it can be hard to treat, wet macular degeneration may cause severe vision loss if left untreated; to protect yourself against it it’s wise to take antioxidant vitamins such as A, C, E, Lutein and Zeaxanthin which have been scientifically shown to slow macular degeneration; your eye doctor can recommend diet high in these nutrients or nutritional supplements which contain them as prevention strategies.

Macular degeneration remains mysterious. There may be links to age and certain genetic factors, but smoking, obesity and cardiovascular diseases increase your risk for macular degeneration as well. If you are at greater risk for macular degeneration, speak to your eye doctor about preventive care and regular comprehensive exams. At home you can use an Amsler grid chart to monitor vision changes and report them immediately to them. For wet macular degeneration, your ophthalmologist or optometrist may provide medications to reduce new blood vessel formation and leakage beneath the retina. They may also perform fluorescein angiography – injecting yellow dye into your arm while taking pictures as the dye travels through blood vessels in your eye – along with fluorescein angiography to monitor progress of retinal blood flow with special camera technology.

Treatment

Dry macular degeneration (AMD) is the most prevalent form of AMD. When this condition progresses, macula thins out and protein deposits called drusen appear, interfering with your central vision and making it blurrier or darker over time. While still able to see colors and details around you, such as when reading or driving. You will also experience difficulty adjusting to dim lighting conditions when undertaking tasks that require close up attention such as reading.

About 80% of macular degeneration cases involve dry forms. Wet macular degeneration, while less common and often less serious, occurs when new abnormal blood vessels form beneath the retina and leak blood or fluid into the macula – leading to sudden vision loss due to blind spots appearing along straight-ahead lines. Furthermore, you may find it hard to judge whether faces appear distorted. The best treatment available for wet macular degeneration is injections of Avastin, Lucentis and Eylea medications. These drugs inhibit the formation of new blood vessels and scar tissue in the eye by blocking vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). By doing this, they have dramatically enhanced vision in many patients with wet macular degeneration while saving others who would have otherwise become legally blind without these medicines.

As well as medications, another way to lower your risk of macular degeneration is through eating a diet rich in leafy green vegetables, fruits and fish that is high in omega 3 fatty acids. You should also quit smoking and visit an ophthalmologist regularly in order to monitor your progress; you may even be asked to view an Amsler grid that will show whether your central vision has changed.

At present, there is no treatment that will reverse the progression of macular degeneration, but you can take steps to lower your chances of it developing in the first place. According to research done by the National Eye Institute’s Age-Related Macular Degeneration Study or AREDS, nutritional supplements may significantly lower risk. Ask your doctor for an effective regimen including antioxidant vitamins C and E as well as lutein/zeaxanthin (found in yellow/green foods) and omega-3 fatty acids from fish or nuts as these could significantly lower risks.