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Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Symptoms and Treatment

December 22, 2011 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in Americans 60 years of age or older. Currently, about 1.75 million U.S. residents have advanced AMD with associated vision loss. That number expected to grow to almost 3 million by 2020.

AMD is an eye disease that affects the part of the retina (the macula) responsible for sharp, central vision. As a result, AMD can make it difficult to perform every day tasks, such as reading and driving.

Symptoms of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Gradual loss of ability to see objects clearly
Objects appear distorted in shape. Straight lines look wavy or crooked.
Loss of clear color vision
A dark or empty area appears in the center of vision.

If you feel you may be experiencing any of the above symptoms, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor as soon as possible. Any sudden change in your vision is a serious medical condition that requires prompt medical attention from your optometrist or ophthalmologist.

AMD can advance so slowly that individuals initially notice little change in their vision. Other times, AMD progresses more rapidly and may even lead to vision loss in both eyes. This is why regular eye exams are so important. They can help detect the eye disease before it causes significant vision loss.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatment

There are two types of AMD, “dry” macular degeneration and the less common “wet” macular degeneration.

Dry AMD: With this form of AMD, the tissue of the macula gradually becomes thinner and stops functioning properly. There is currently no cure for dry AMD and any vision loss associated with the disease cannot be restored, even with treatment.
Wet AMD: This form of AMD is caused by fluid that leak from newly formed blood vessels under the macula, resulting in blurred central vision. With wet AMD, vision loss can be rapid and severe, but if detected early, this form of AMD can be treated with photocoagulation (laser treatment).
Other potential 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.

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.

While AMD treatment cannot restore your vision, it can help to slow further vision loss.

If you have any questions about what you have just read or if you would like to learn more about cataracts, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Samuel Boles and the eye care specialists at Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or click here to visit AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today!
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.

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

You can also follow Anne Arundel Eye Center on Facebook, Twitterand YouTube as well!

Sources:
Macular Degeneration MedlinePlus
Age-Related Macular Degeneration American Optometric Association

Do-It-Yourself Stye Home Remedy: Anne Arundel Eye Center

September 30, 2011 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

A stye is an inflamed oil gland on the edge of your eyelid, where the lash meets the lid. Often times individuals with a stye can experience the feeling that something is in the eye, increased sensitivity to light, excess tearing, or tenderness. Styes are often painful, and left untreated can grow to temporarily impair your vision.

The three strep process detailed below is one of the best and easiest ways to treat a stye at home, and should be performed twice daily.

Step 1: Warm Wet Heat

You want to place a warm washcloth over both eyes for 10 minutes. If the washcloth cools down heat it back up in the microwave for a few seconds. The warm wet heat is essential for softening the stye.

Step 2: Mechanical Cleansing

Use a washcloth with baby shampoo or Ocusoft Lid scrub pads to clean the eyelid margin. You want to scrub from side to side, not up and down. Make sure you get the lid margin (where your lashes are) while being careful not the scratch the eye itself.

Step 3: Firm Pressure

The two steps above will not be helpful without firm pressure. You must coax the stye into draining. This is done by taking your fingertip and ‘rolling’ your finger from the cheekbone up to the lid margin, and from the brow down to the lid margin. This should be done multiple times in order to cover the whole margin of both eyes. Please ensure the pressure is firm. Don’t hurt yourself, but don’t be afraid to press hard, as gentle pressure will not assist you at this point.

A stye will linger until it drains, and in many cases it can take a few days for them to clear. If the above remedy does not prove helpful, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor at your earliest convenience. Layering in certain medications, or minor procedures are sometimes beneficial in treating a particularly stubborn stye.

Eye pain and vision impairment are serious symptoms that require prompt medical attention from your optometrist or ophthalmologist.

If you have any questions about what you have just read, please contact Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010.

You can follow Anne Arundel Eye Center on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as well!

Sources:

PubMed Health

Anne Arundel Eye Center

Treating the Common Problem of Dry Eyes

August 5, 2011 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

Dry eye is a common and often chronic problem.

As we age, tear production diminishes, leaving most individuals over the age of 65 with at least some symptoms of dry eye. Yet, dry eye is not just a medical condition that affects the elderly. Other causes of the common eye problem include: medications like antihistamines, blood pressure medicine and antidepressants; medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and thyroid problems; inflammation of the eye surface or eyelids as well as abnormal turning of the eyelids; smoke, wind and dry climates; long-term use of contact lenses; and refractive eye surgeries such as LASIK.

Symptoms of dry eye include:

• Stinging

• Burning

• Scratchiness

• Stringy mucus

• Excessive irritation from smoke and wind

• Discomfort when wearing contact lenses

• Watering eyes

If you feel you may be suffering from dry eye, you should schedule an appointment with your eye doctor right away. Dry eye can be diagnosed through a comprehensive patient history and eye exam as well as with the help of tests that measure tear production and eye surface dryness.

If you are diagnosed with dry eye, you have several treatment options. You can add tears with over-the-counter artificial tear solutions, conserve tears by temporarily or permanently blocking the tear ducts, increase tear production with prescription eye drops, or you can treat the contributing eyelid or ocular surface inflammation.

You can also attempt to reduce the symptoms of dry eye by…

• Blinking regularly when reading or staring at a computer for long periods of time

• Increasing the level of humidity in the air

• Wearing sunglasses

• Staying hydrated

• Using nutritional supplements containing essential fatty acids

Should your dry eye problem persist or continue to cause discomfort, be sure to contact your eye doctor for more information and treatment. 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!

You can follow Anne Arundel Eye Center on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as well!