Macular Degeneration Treatment
Macular Degeneration is a medical conditions that results in the loss of vision at the center of the vision field, or the macula.
Though you will often see older women affected the most by this damage to the retina, ophthalmology and retina medications are available.
While peripheral vision remains and most daily tasks are still allowable, macular degeneration can make it impossible to read or recognize faces.
Macular Degeneration comes in two types, Dry and Wet. Dry Macular Degeneration, often known as Central Geographical Atrophy, results from the atrophy to the retinal pigment epithelial layer below the retina in the central part of the eye.
Currently, no surefire medical or surgical treatment is available for dry macular degeneration, but vitamin supplements combined with high doses of the antioxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthin have been suggested by the National Eye Institute to slow the progression and possibly even improve visual acuity in some patients.
Wet Macular Degeneration, referred to as Neovascular or Exudative, causes the loss of vision due to abnormal blood vessel growth which leads to blood and protein leakage below the macula. This bleeding and leaking can cause scarring which leaves damage to the photoreceptors and causes rapid vision loss.
Until recently, there were no effective treatments for wet macular degeneration. But recently new drugs including Anti-angiogenics are being used to cause regression of the abnormal blood vessels and improvement of vision when injected directly into the vitreous humor of the eye on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.
Some signs and symptoms of Macular Degeneration include:
- Pigmentary alterations
- Atrophy
- Drastic reduction in visual acuity
- Central Scotomas
- Blurred or distorted vision
- Trouble discerning colors
- Slow recovery of visual function after exposure to bright light
- Loss of contrast sensitivity
Injections, soutions and
ophthalmic ointments are available, so if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor about macular degeneration treatment immediately.