What is ARMD? The macula provides the sharp, central vision we need for reading, driving, and seeing fine detail.
Macular degeneration refers to the breakdown of the macula.
What You Need To Do: Get regular eye checkups from an ophthalmologist, especially after the age of 50.
You can detect early stages of macular degeneration by using a simple vision test using a chart called the Amsler grid.
If you are more than 50 years old,If you see wavy, broken, distorted lines please look at this with each eye separately.
You may have symptoms of ARMD.
Why Is It Important: Macular degeneration can cause sudden, severe and often irreversible loss of vision in the middle of your visual field Symptoms oReduction vision in the central part of the retina causing difficulty in reading or recognizing peoples faces oIt usually does not affect the eye's side, or peripheral, vision.
oIf you notice words looking blurry on a page, a dark or empty area in the center of your vision, or crookedness of straight lines, you may have symptoms of macular degeneration.
Types The two types of AMD are "dry" (atrophic) and "wet" (exudative): "Dry" Macular Degeneration (atrophic) Most people have the "dry" form of AMD.
It is caused by aging and thinning of the tissues of the macula.
Vision loss is usually gradual.
"Wet" Macular Degeneration (exudative) The "wet" form of macular degeneration accounts for about 10% of all AMD cases.
Wet ARMD results when abnormal blood vessels form underneath the retina at the back of the eye leak fluid or blood and blur central vision.
Vision loss may be rapid and severe.
Macular degeneration cannot be reversed.
Its impact, however, can be reduced.
Laser surgery and medications can be used to treat certain types of macular degeneration.
Certain types of "wet" macular degeneration can be treated with oLaser Treatment - High intensity laser was the only option in the past and often left a blind spot in the treatment zone.
This was called laser photocoagulation oPDT (photodynamic therapy) - Non-thermal laser was used at the macula to activate a dye injected in the body which seals the leaking abnormal blood vessels.
oInjections - They target a specific chemical in your body that is critical in causing abnormal blood vessels to grow under the retina.
That chemical is called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
Anti-VEGF drugs block the trouble-causing VEGF, reducing the growth of abnormal blood vessels and slowing their leakage.
The recent development of anti-VEGF medications have become an exciting advance in the treatment of wet AMD.
Bevacizumab (Avastin) and ranibizumab (Lucentis) are two very useful drugs.
Most patients will retain the vision they have and some will regain some of the lost vision after these treatments.
These procedures may preserve more sight overall, though they are not cures that restore vision to normal.
Despite advanced medical treatment, most people with macular degeneration still experience some vision loss.
Many older people develop macular degeneration as part of the body's natural aging process.
Exactly why it develops is not known, and no treatment has been uniformly effective.
Macular degeneration refers to the breakdown of the macula.
What You Need To Do: Get regular eye checkups from an ophthalmologist, especially after the age of 50.
You can detect early stages of macular degeneration by using a simple vision test using a chart called the Amsler grid.
If you are more than 50 years old,If you see wavy, broken, distorted lines please look at this with each eye separately.
You may have symptoms of ARMD.
Why Is It Important: Macular degeneration can cause sudden, severe and often irreversible loss of vision in the middle of your visual field Symptoms oReduction vision in the central part of the retina causing difficulty in reading or recognizing peoples faces oIt usually does not affect the eye's side, or peripheral, vision.
oIf you notice words looking blurry on a page, a dark or empty area in the center of your vision, or crookedness of straight lines, you may have symptoms of macular degeneration.
Types The two types of AMD are "dry" (atrophic) and "wet" (exudative): "Dry" Macular Degeneration (atrophic) Most people have the "dry" form of AMD.
It is caused by aging and thinning of the tissues of the macula.
Vision loss is usually gradual.
"Wet" Macular Degeneration (exudative) The "wet" form of macular degeneration accounts for about 10% of all AMD cases.
Wet ARMD results when abnormal blood vessels form underneath the retina at the back of the eye leak fluid or blood and blur central vision.
Vision loss may be rapid and severe.
Macular degeneration cannot be reversed.
Its impact, however, can be reduced.
Laser surgery and medications can be used to treat certain types of macular degeneration.
Certain types of "wet" macular degeneration can be treated with oLaser Treatment - High intensity laser was the only option in the past and often left a blind spot in the treatment zone.
This was called laser photocoagulation oPDT (photodynamic therapy) - Non-thermal laser was used at the macula to activate a dye injected in the body which seals the leaking abnormal blood vessels.
oInjections - They target a specific chemical in your body that is critical in causing abnormal blood vessels to grow under the retina.
That chemical is called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
Anti-VEGF drugs block the trouble-causing VEGF, reducing the growth of abnormal blood vessels and slowing their leakage.
The recent development of anti-VEGF medications have become an exciting advance in the treatment of wet AMD.
Bevacizumab (Avastin) and ranibizumab (Lucentis) are two very useful drugs.
Most patients will retain the vision they have and some will regain some of the lost vision after these treatments.
These procedures may preserve more sight overall, though they are not cures that restore vision to normal.
Despite advanced medical treatment, most people with macular degeneration still experience some vision loss.
Many older people develop macular degeneration as part of the body's natural aging process.
Exactly why it develops is not known, and no treatment has been uniformly effective.
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