Macular Degeneration Age Related Vision Loss
Dry & Wet Macular Degeneration (AMD) Blindness Causes and Treatments
Nov 14, 2009
Macular degeneration generally starts out as "dry" macular degeneration, which causes less severe vision loss. Ten percent of people with dry macular degeneration go on to develop the more severe wet form. Almost two million people in the US alone are affected by macular degeneration.
Who Develops Macular Degeneration: Risk Factors
The following people are more likely to develop macular degeneration:
- those with a family history of the disease
- caucasians, with more women than men
- people with light colored eyes
- people who smoke or smoked
- people with high blood pressure
- people over age 60
Dry Macular Degeneration Vitamins
Macular degeneration generally begins as the “dry” form, with formation of drusen, yellowish spots on the retina. Dry macular degeneration causes vision loss, but much less severe than that of wet macular degeneration. Dry AMD can be treated with vitamins such as the AREDS formula, developed by the National Eye Institute, which contains high levels of anti-oxidants and zinc, to help prevent dry AMD from becoming wet. AREDS vitamins are not a cure for dry macular degeneration.
Causes of Wet Macular Degeneration and Choroidal Neovascularization
Wet macular degeneration develops when new abnormal blood vessels grow under the macula in response to a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF. This process is called choroidal neovascularization (CNV). The new blood vessels grow because the body is trying to compensate for loss of oxygen to the retina by delivering more blood to the retina, but the new vessels are fragile and break and leak easily.
The leaky vessels produce the distorted and blurred central vision characteristic of wet macular degeneration. Patients complain that things look “wavy,” if untreated, a permanent gray or black spot forms in the center of vision. Peripheral vision will still be present, but since central vision is essential to activities such as driving, activities of daily living will be severely curtailed at this point.
Treatment of Wet Macular Degeneration With Lucentis
Macular degeneration treatment is aimed at stopping the growth of leaky blood vessels. Current treatment for most cases is to inject an anti VEGF medication, in an attempt to stop the growth of new blood vessels by blocking VEGF. The FDA approved medication for anti VEGF treatment is Lucentis, made by Novartis, according to studies conducted by the National Eye Institute.
Lucentis is injected into the vitreous of the eye(through the white part of the eye, the sclera) with a very small needle every five weeks or so initially, with time between treatment being spread out over several years to insure that the blood vessels don’t start to grow again. A retinal specialist will oversee management of the disease.
Diagnosing Macular Degeneration Early; Using an Amsler Grid
Much research into macular degeneration is being done. Successful treatment of wet AMD lies in preventing its development by treating dry macular degeneration to keep it from becoming wet. People with dry macular degeneration need to be vigilant about watching for signs of worsening central vision. Using an Amsler grid, a graph of small squares with a black circle in the center, to check for wavy lines or decreased vision daily, testing each eye separately, can help people recognize problems early. Treatment success is much greater if treatment is begun early.
 |
 |
