Macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of vision loss in elders aged 50 and above. It affects only the center of the vision, and you rarely go blind from this disease. However, it’s still debilitating due to losing the ability to see fine details, eventually being unable to see faces, read smaller prints, or even drive.

What Is Macular Degeneration?

The central part of the retina, also known as the macula, is the part of the eyes affected when you have macular degeneration. A person with MD often loses their central vision but still has normal peripheral vision. Since the disease usually happens in old age, it is also known as age-related macular degeneration or AMD. It has two types — dry and wet macular degeneration.

Dry AMD is the most common when the macula’s light-sensitive cells gradually break down. It often develops one eye at a time. Wet AMD is less common but causes more severe loss of vision. It occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina, leaking fluid and blood that causes a large blind spot at the center of your visual field.

Macular Degeneration: Symptoms, Causes, and Risks

The exact cause of macular degeneration is unknown. It can be genetics, but it can also occur in people who have no family history of ever having this disease. Sometimes, it just happens that a person’s macula begins wasting away. Getting older is the one factor people with AMD always have in common.
 

On the other hand, people with macular degeneration not related to age might be associated with head injuries, diabetes, infections, or a diet that lacks certain nutrients. You’re at risk if you are overweight, eat a diet with high saturated fat content, smoke cigarettes, and have hypertension. People with heart disease and high cholesterol levels are also at risk.
 

The biggest symptom that a person might have macular degeneration is the inability to see fine details. With a damaged macula, it will be hard for the brain to understand the details of anything the eyes see. Most people with this illness don’t show symptoms until it progresses. When symptoms do start to show, you’ll recognize them as:
 

• Low vision

• Blurred vision

• Inability to see in low light

• Dark spots or blank spots

• Straight lines appearing wavy or curvy

• Changes or problems in how you see colors

Treatment and Management

Unfortunately, macular degeneration has no cure. However, it is possible to slow the progression of the disease if treatments are started early. Although, you should keep in mind that even when treatments are successful, symptoms will usually return. Various treatments can help with managing AMD, which include:
 

• Medications

• Nutritional supplements

• Photodynamic therapy

• Laser therapy

Age-Related Eye Disease Studies, namely AREDS and AREDS2, are used to slow the progress of dry AMD. It combines vitamins C and E, minerals copper and zinc, and antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin. In the case of wet AMD, eye doctors use anti-vascular endothelial growth factor or anti-VEGF injections to stop the growth of new blood vessels.

On the other hand, photodynamic therapy (PDT) combines laser and injectable light-sensitive drugs to destroy the blood vessels that grow in the eye. Anti-VEGF shots are sometimes combined with PDT for optimum results. Meanwhile, laser photocoagulation also uses a laser to destroy the blood vessels leaking into the eye.

You can learn more about macular degeneration by calling Palo Alto Eyes Optometry at (650) 321-2015 or visiting our clinic in Palo Alto, California.