Anti-VEGF therapy is the go-to treatment for wet macular degeneration. By injecting a drug that prevents new blood vessel formation in your eye, this approach offers relief.

Your doctor can diagnose wet macular degeneration by showing you an Amsler chart with black lines arranged in a grid pattern, as well as fluorescein angiography to assess if any new abnormal blood vessels have emerged beneath your retina.

Medications

Medication may not prevent wet macular degeneration from worsening, but they may slow its progress considerably and improve quality of life and visual experience for patients. A comprehensive eye exam and discussion with your doctor can help identify which treatment option will work best in your particular case.

Treatment for wet macular degeneration typically entails injecting an anti-angiogenesis drug directly into your eye, known as a VEGF inhibitor, to stop new abnormal blood vessels from growing beneath your retina and leaking blood and fluid into it. Our drug targets and inhibits protein VEGF which leads to blood vessel growth under retina.

Step one in treating wet macular degeneration involves identifying abnormal blood vessels using fluorescein angiography, an ophthalmologic procedure. This test can be conducted in your office and provides us with a picture of blood flow beneath your retina – helping us determine whether you have early stage wet macular degeneration that may require anti-angiogenesis therapy treatment.

Wet macular degeneration (also referred to as Neovascular AMD) occurs when abnormal blood vessels form beneath the retina in the macula area of your eye and leak blood and fluid into it, raising up the macula from its usual position in your back eye, which distorts and blurs your central vision.

As macular degeneration progresses, symptoms often include central vision loss as well as straight lines that appear wavy or blind spots within your field of vision. Should these changes arise it is imperative to contact a healthcare provider immediately as these could be early warning signs.

Wet macular degeneration is most effectively treated through monthly injections of VEGF inhibitors such as ranibizumab (Lucentis). Bevacizumab (Avastin) is another widely prescribed option and other similar treatments have also been approved for treating this condition.

Vitamins

Wet macular degeneration (WMD) is less common and less severe than dry AMD. It occurs when tiny blood vessels form beneath the retina and leak blood or fluid into it, leading to thinner maculae with decreased central vision as a result of leakage from small blood vessels that form underneath. Over time this can result in permanent vision loss.

Nutritional supplements containing carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin may help slow macular degeneration by providing the eye with enough of these vital antioxidants, found in dark green leafy vegetables as well as yellow, orange and other colorful fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C, E and zinc supplementation is also key; large scientific studies have revealed that people taking high dose combinations of these vitamins and minerals through Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) had approximately 25% less risk of advanced stages of macular degeneration compared to those who don’t.

Longevinex may help slow the progression of wet macular degeneration by inhibiting abnormal blood vessel growth and by suppressing chemical signals that tell cells to make more blood vessels – abnormal vessels which leak or bleed under the retina can lead to vision loss and should therefore be blocked before vision loss occurs.

At Westside Eye Clinic, we provide intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF medicines to stop abnormal blood vessels from growing, leaking, and bleeding under the retina. These regular treatments can safely help preserve peripheral vision while helping prevent further loss of central vision.

If you are at risk for macular degeneration, it is essential that you visit an ophthalmologist regularly – particularly if there is a family history. Regular appointments and eating healthily with eye-healthy foods such as fish can help lower your risk. Dr. Bhatia has extensive experience in treating this condition and can recommend the appropriate treatments options for you. For more information or treatment recommendations in Los Angeles California visit our office by phone or booking an appointment online now – we look forward to seeing you!

Surgery

The macula, located at the center of retinal tissue at the back of your eye that instantly converts light into electrical impulses and nerve signals for transmission to your brain, is responsible for central vision: straight ahead vision as well as being able to recognize faces or read. Macular degeneration causes cells in macula to die off, leading to blurry or hazy central vision; it does not impact peripheral (side) vision but it often creates difficulties driving or engaging in activities requiring fine detail such as reading, sewing or playing musical instrument.

Dry macular degeneration (DMD) is a condition where tiny protein deposits known as drusen form under the retina, eventually thinning out its central portion and eventually creating yellow deposits known as drusen that can be seen with dilated eye examination. Drusen deposits can be seen through dilation; their main symptoms of dry AMD include gradual haziness or distortion in straight ahead vision, need for brighter lights for visibility, as well as developing central blind spots which appear as wavy lines or black holes within visual field – no pain at all – slowly progressing over time.

Wet macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels form within the choroid layer that lies behind the retina in a process known as choroidal neovascularization (CNV). These new blood vessels can then leak fluid and blood under the retina, forcing it away from its usual position at the back of the eye, thus quickly leading to central vision loss for patients.

Laser treatments can effectively destroy these new blood vessels by targeting them with a high energy beam of light to destroy them, but as this procedure can also harm healthy surrounding tissue and vision, repeated treatments may be required for maximum effectiveness.

Current treatments available to combat vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections for wet macular degeneration include injectable medications which block this factor and may help slow or even reverse vision loss by stabilizing or improving vision in many patients. These injections must be given regularly in the office in order to remain effective.

Laser Treatment

Up until recently, treatment options for advanced macular degeneration were limited and did not offer much hope of improving central vision in eyes with macular degeneration; rather they only slowed further loss. But recently four FDA-approved drugs have become available that offer some protection and improvement of vision for those living with wet macular degeneration.

Wet macular degeneration (also referred to as exudative or neovascular AMD) occurs when abnormal blood vessels form beneath the retina in the area of the macula and begin leaking fluid and blood, leading to rapid vision loss or even complete blindness. One early sign of wet macular degeneration is straight lines appearing crooked due to blood from new vessels lifting up and disrupting normal positioning of macula.

Treatment for wet macular degeneration typically involves injections of medication to stop leaky blood vessels. More recently, photodynamic therapy (PDT) injections have also been developed, where light-sensitive medicine injected in one arm travels directly to damaged retinal blood vessels where it pools in damaged spots of retina and eventually gets activated when exposed to low power laser light, leading to reactionary sealing off of vessels and subsequent stoppage of any further fluid and blood leakage.

If you have been diagnosed with wet macular degeneration, it’s essential that you visit an eye doctor regularly for exams. Discuss with them any visual aids such as electronic eyewear that might help, like eSight’s clinically validated electronic eyewear that enhances vision for those living with wet macular degeneration and may prevent further vision loss – find one nearby today and give eSight a try!