Macular degeneration is an age-related condition that leads to blurred central vision. As macula cells deteriorate with age, the disease results in loss of central vision making it hard for people to recognize faces, drive safely or read literature straight ahead.

Patients at risk for macular degeneration should visit their eye doctor by age 55 in order to be tested and receive necessary treatments, including anti-angiogenesis drugs and vitamins that can slow its progress.

Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (DAMD)

Macular degeneration is an eye condition that gradually destroys the central part of your retina, which allows for clear vision of fine details. It typically develops gradually over time and affects both eyes. Some individuals may notice difficulty reading in dim light or seeing straight lines appear crooked; however, most don’t experience any visible changes as central vision gradually shifts out of focus; so regular eye examinations should be scheduled to identify early-onset macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration comes in two varieties, wet and dry. Dry macular degeneration occurs when the macula becomes thinner, leading to tiny clusters of protein known as drusen to accumulate beneath the retina and form under it – this form of macular degeneration progresses very slowly over time and cannot be treated.

However, in wet macular degeneration abnormal blood vessels develop under the retina and leak blood or fluids quickly causing central vision loss to progress quickly. Luckily, however, the wet form of macular degeneration can be treated effectively by injections of anti-VEGF injections which stop abnormal blood vessel growth that causes wet macular degeneration – they have proven successful for up to 90% of patients suffering with wet macular degeneration and often result in significant improvements to visual acuity over two years of treatment.

Macular degeneration should be detected early and managed effectively; visiting your nearest Associated Eye Physicians office today to schedule an eye exam will enable early diagnosis and provide the optimal plan tailored specifically to you.

Intermediate Age-Related Macular Degeneration (IAMD)

Macular degeneration is an eye disease that gradually destroys sharp central vision – the area used for reading, driving and seeing fine details – leading to blindness in people over 55. It is the leading cause of blindness worldwide.

Dry AMD is the most prevalent form of macular degeneration. At this stage, a thinned layer of tissue in the center of your retina (the light-sensitive back layer that gives your sight) causes blurry vision resulting in bent or crookedness to straight lines; colors become muted; and faces may be hard to recognize.

At times, an abnormal blood vessel forms beneath the macula and leaks fluid, leading to central vision impairment and leading to wet AMD. Wet AMD is more rapidly progressing than dry AMD and can result in sudden vision loss.

Some forms of wet AMD can be treated with laser surgery that uses an intense beam of light to target abnormal blood vessels and stop any further damage to the macula. Although this procedure does not cure AMD, it can slow its progress over time for some people.

If you have early or intermediate AMD, it’s essential that you schedule regular dilated eye exams. If any changes to your vision occur – such as distortion of straight lines or missing pieces when looking at something – contact your physician immediately as vitamin therapy and other lifestyle optimization strategies could help slow the progression of disease. It is also important to be aware of your family history and ethnicity – European descent people tend to be at higher risk, while people of Asian and Hispanic heritage are typically lower risks.

Late Age-Related Macular Degeneration (LAMD)

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a painless eye disease that gradually destroys central vision, leaving people without reading or driving ability. Without it, they may only notice they have lost sight when their reading or driving ability becomes severely limited; but regular comprehensive eye exams can detect macular degeneration in its earliest stages and help determine if treatment can slow or stop progression of this progressive eye disorder.

Macular degeneration comes in two varieties, dry and wet. In dry macular degeneration, protein/lipid deposits called drusen appear under the retina as early signs of disease. Over time, however, its structural support system breaks down and retinal thickness declines leading to fluid leakage from damaged retinal cells further diminishing central vision.

Wet macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels form beneath the retina. If any bleed, fluid can leak out into the eye, further damaging retina. Wet AMD typically arises after dry macular degeneration has taken hold and affects more women than men.

Though there is no known cure for macular degeneration, certain vitamins and supplements may reduce your risk of vision loss. These include Vitamin C, E, Lutein Zeaxanthin Zin and Copper; all can be found in fruits and vegetables such as dark leafy greens such as Kale and Spinach as well as oranges, squash and carrots. A diet high in Omega-3 Fatty Acids found in fish such as Salmon or Tuna may also provide healthful benefits – speak to an Associated Eye Physicians physician to find out the best ways to add these nutrients into your daily meals!

Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration (NVAMD)

Neovascular Age Related Macular Degeneration (NVAMD) occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina and leak fluid and blood, rapidly degrading central vision and leading to legal blindness for people over 50. It often begins as dry AMD and progresses into wet AMD without treatment if left unattended, being more prevalent among smokers and people with family histories of AMD; diagnosis requires conducting a complete eye exam including fundus examination, OCT analysis and fluorescein and ICG angiogram.

At present, standard care for wet neovascular age related macular degeneration involves regular injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) medications like ranibizumab, bevacizumab and aflibercept can be provided to prevent severe visual loss by stopping abnormal blood vessel growth under the retina from leaking fluid and blood. They can also improve vision in some cases by reducing fluid and blood accumulation under it. These injections should take place every 4-6 weeks into the vitreous cavity of each eye injected directly into its vitreous cavity injected directly into its vitreous cavity injected directly into its vitreous cavity of course combined with laser treatment such as photocoagulation or photodynamic therapy with verteporfin to ensure maximum effectiveness in terms of stopping leakage and neovascularization activity.

Dr Arshad Khanani discusses the significance of managing neovascular age related macular disease and outlines strategies that can be employed to both screen and confirm a diagnosis of such. Additionally, he describes his approach of using key clinical trials results to tailor anti-VEGF therapy treatment plans so as to reduce injection frequency while discussing why faricimab (a bispecific antibody targeting two distinct pathways) should be recommended as treatment option in wet AMD cases.

Retinal Vascularization

Anti-VEGF agents and various drug delivery systems have provided significant improvements in treating nAMD/DME; however, the patient burden associated with repeated intravitreal injections still poses a considerable barrier.

Changes to retinal vascular appearance are characteristic of both nAMD and DME, but the current method for assessing them involves examining large areas of retina and measuring its thickness; imaging technology is developing quickly so it should soon be possible to measure individual retinal blood vessels.

Retinal vasculitis refers to any inflammation of retinal vessels and their blood supply. This condition may result from an infectious or systemic disease, or it could develop on its own for no known reason. Commonly affected vessels include the choriocapillaris, venules and arterioles.

Retinal neovascularization can lead to retinal detachment, which causes the eye to become detached from its back wall (sclera). One telltale sign of retinal detachment is floaters; small specks that appear to float freely within vitreous fluid within the eye. Other symptoms may include distortion of straight lines such as door frames or window blinds becoming wavy or crooked as well.

Macular neovascularization symptoms include distorting central vision (known as metamorphopsia) and difficulty recognizing objects that require close examination, as well as increased light sensitivity and fatigued eyes. People suffering from macular neovascularization also face increased risks for cataract development as well as retinal tears/detachments due to scar tissue formation on the surface of retina, leading to bulging eyeballs with increased pressure inside of them due to macular neovascularization’s ability to form scar tissue on surface retina, increasing chances of retinal detachments/tear detachments and tear/detachments as well as high risk for cataract development due to scar tissue formation on retina surface from macular neovascularization’s scar tissue formation on retina surface as a result causing scar tissue formation and increasing pressure inside of eyes affected individuals’.