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FAQs about Eye Diseases: What is Macular Degeneration?

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When it comes to eye diseases, most people are familiar with glaucoma and cataracts, but few know about Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

What is Macular Degeneration?

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that directly affects the macula, the small area of the retina that is responsible for central vision. AMD occurs in two forms:

  • Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (common): Tiny yellow deposits, called drusen, develop beneath the macula, signaling degeneration and thinning of nerve tissue.
  • Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration (less common): Abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the macula, leaking blood and fluid onto and underneath the retina. This kills retinal cells, causing blurring, distortion, and blank spots in your field of vision.

Interesting Macular Degenerations Facts & Statistics

  • More than 13 million Americans are affected by AMD.
  • Nearly 90% of all diagnosed AMD is the dry form.
  • About 10% of cases of dry macular degeneration develop into the wet, or neovascular, form of AMD.
  • Globally, AMD is the leading cause of vision loss and is responsible for some 50% of visual impairment.
  • AMD is uncommon in people younger than 55.
  • Women are slightly more likely than men to develop AMD.
  • Studies show that obesity, smoking, and exposure to UV rays may also be risk factors for developing AMD.

Signs and Symptoms of Macular Degeneration

In its early stages, AMD may not present any signs or symptoms. As the eye disease progresses, however, signs and symptoms become much more prevalent and include:

  • The distortion or blurring of central vision
  • Difficulty performing everyday tasks like driving or reading
  • Inability to see small details or fine print
  • Difficulty recognizing faces
  • Need for more light while reading or working
  • Dark or blurry areas in the center of vision (blind spots)
  • Changed color perception
  • Inability to focus properly on a single point within a grid

If you experience any of these signs or symptoms, contact your eye doctor – optometrist or ophthalmologist – at your earliest convenience. The early detection of macular degeneration is critical to the long-term treatment of the eye disease.

Recent innovations in AMD treatment can slow or even halt the progression of retinal changes.

“There are good modern treatments available for patients who lose vision due to AMD,” said board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Cuong Vu of Retina Associates. “[But] early detection and prevention are the keys to success.”

To learn more about Macular Degeneration, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles and the eye care specialists at Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010.

Located in Annapolis, Maryland, the Anne Arundel Eye Center offers comprehensive specialized ophthalmic exams as well as diagnostic pre and post-surgical eye care. Specializing in glaucoma and cataracts, Dr. Boles has helped restore and preserve thousands of patients’ vision. Vision problems may be a natural part of aging. Losing your vision doesn’t have to be.

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

Sources:

Macular Degeneration Health Center

Macular Degeneration

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Macular Degeneration, also referred to as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in Americans 60 years of age and older. This eye disease, which affects the part of the retina (the macula) responsible for the sharp, central vision, comes in two types – dry (non-neovascular) and wet (neovascular).

•     The dry form, which is the more common of the two types (accounting for 85-90% of AMD cases), is characterized by the presence of yellow deposits, called drusen, in the macula. As these drusen grow in size and number, they may lead to a dimming or distortion of vision.

•     The wet form is characterized by the growth of abnormal blood vessels from the choroid underneath the macula. These blood vessels leak blood and other fluid into the retina, causing distorted vision that makes straight lines appear wavy, as well as loss of central vision. These abnormal blood vessels eventually scar, leading to permanent loss of central vision.

Macular Degeneration tends to affect Caucasians and females more than other demographics. Additional risk factors include:

•     Aging

•     Obesity and Inactivity. Overweight patients with macular degeneration have more than double the risk of developing advanced forms of macular degeneration compared with people of normal body weight.

•     Heredity. Recent studies have found that specific variants of different genes are present in most people who have macular degeneration.

•     High Blood Pressure (Hypertension). High blood pressure may be associated with development of macular degeneration.

•     Smoking. One study found smoking to be directly associated with about 25 percent of AMD cases causing severe vision loss.

•     Lighter Eye Color. Some researchers have theorized that the extra pigment found in darker eyes was a protective factor against the development of the eye disease.

The symptoms of macular degeneration include:

•     Straight lines start to appear distorted, or the center of vision becomes distorted

•     Dark, blurry areas or white out appears in the center of vision

•     Diminished or changed color perception

If you experience any of these symptoms, see your eye doctor as soon as possible.

Regular eye exams can help to detect macular degeneration before it causes significant vision loss. While there is no cure for AMD, treatment can slow vision loss.

Treatment options include:

Anti-angiogenesis drugs: These medications block the development of new blood vessels and leakage from the abnormal vessels within the eye that cause wet macular degeneration.

Vitamins: A recent study found that vitamins C, E, beta carotene, zinc and copper can decrease the risk of vision loss in patients with intermediate to advanced dry macular degeneration.

Laser therapy: High-energy laser light can sometimes be used to destroy actively growing abnormal blood vessels that occur in macular degeneration.

Photodynamic laser therapy: A two-step treatment in which a light sensitive drug is used to damage the abnormal blood vessels. A doctor injects the drug into the bloodstream to be absorbed by the abnormal blood vessels in the eye. The doctor then shines a cold laser into the eye to activate the drug, damaging the abnormal blood vessels.

Low vision aids: Devices that have special lenses or electronic systems that produce enlarged images of nearby objects.

Submacular surgery (experimental): Surgery to remove the abnormal blood vessels or blood.

Retinal translocation (experimental): A surgical procedure used to destroy abnormal blood vessels that are located directly under the center of the macula, where a laser beam cannot be placed safely.

Currently, about 1.75 million U.S. residents currently have advanced age-related macular degeneration with associated vision loss, with that number expected to grow to almost 3 million by 2020.

If you feel you may be at risk, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor as soon as possible. As with any eye disease, early detection and treatment are your best options.

If you have any questions about what you have just read, contact Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or click here today!

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Sources:

Macular Degeneration Medline Plus

Age-related Macular Degeneration All About Vision

Eye Health: Macular Degeneration WebMD

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