What Is Macular Degeneration?
Macular Degeneration: Everything You Need to Know
Macular Degeneration is the number one cause of vision loss in the senior population. It affects mostly Caucasian women but can affect others as well. What causes the condition to develop, who is at risk, and how is treated
Macular Degeneration is an eye disease that causes a partial or complete loss of your central vision. A person’s central vision is what allows them to see things that are directly in front of them, such as faces, books, or screens. The macula is located in the central portion of the retina, in the back of the eye, and contains cone photoreceptors. These densely packed photoreceptors give us sharp, detailed vision. The rest of the retina contains some cones, but mostly rod photoreceptors and allow us peripheral vision for mobility.
When the macula is damaged, your ability to enjoy clear vision is negatively affected. Everyday types of activities like reading or driving can become difficult.
There are two types of AMD: wet and dry. The cone cells simply die off in dry macular degeneration and there is no treatment. They cannot be replaced, transplanted or regrown.
Wet AMD involves leaking fluid from the blood vessels behind the macula. Treatment is directed to stopping those leaks with injections such as avastin, leucentis or eyelea. Treatment does not restore the lost vision, unfortunately.
Although this condition is irreversible, there is hope. A wide range of optometric low vision glasses and devices can help AMD patients regain their independence and continue to enjoy a high quality of life.
How IALVS Low Vision Doctors Can Help
The earlier the condition is found, the sooner treatment can begin. That’s why an early diagnosis is so vital for you or your loved ones.
There are some things you can do on your own to decrease your risk of developing Macular Degeneration. Quitting smoking, eating healthy meals with green vegetables and “eye healthy” foods (ie. orange peppers, kale, and spinach), exercise, and wearing UV-blocking sunglasses are a few examples.
If you have Wet Macular Degeneration, medicated injections or laser therapy may slow down the progression of vision loss. However, these options won’t reverse your vision loss; they merely stop it from getting worse.
There are also a number of Low Vision glasses and devices that can help improve your vision so that you can enjoy reading, driving, watching TV, running errands, and recognizing the faces of your friends or family. Low Vision glasses and devices have proven to be extremely helpful for patients with Macular Degeneration.
Treatment for Macular Degeneration
Unfortunately, there is no cure and no procedure to replace the damaged macula. The goal of treatment is to stop the breakage and prevent the macula from deteriorating even more. IALVS Low Vision skilled and caring doctors use their years of experience and state of the art optics and technology to manage your condition so that you can continue doing the things you love.
There is evidence suggesting that a number of nutritional supplements which include omega 3 fatty acids, lutein, and zeaxanthin may help prevent the progression of AMD and may also reduce the chance of dry AMD changing to the wet form.
The medical community and scientific researchers continue to study Macular Degeneration and run clinical trials, so there is hope for the future. Let the IALVS team of experienced low vision eye doctors help you get back to doing the things you enjoy and continue to live independently.
Low Vision Glasses and Devices for Macular Degeneration
Low Vision glasses and devices can help you manage the condition by enhancing your remaining vision with the use of magnification, filters, and prisms. Telescope and microscope glasses enlarge objects so they can be seen. Prisms sometimes move light away from the macula and onto peripheral retina. Low vision devices, such as handheld, mounted, or stand-alone magnifiers help for reading prices and labels, and other tasks.
Deciding which ones are best depends on what tasks and activities are most important to you. Certain aids are helpful for reading a book or watching TV, while other devices help you with driving and recognizing faces. Your eye doctor will speak with you about your daily activities and help determine which low vision glasses and devices are right for you.
Common Symptoms of Macular Degeneration
Perhaps one of the most difficult parts of having Macular Degeneration is that the symptoms can be attributed to something else or go unnoticed. That’s why it’s so important to be aware of any slight changes to your vision.
The most common symptoms of Macular Degeneration are:
- Blind spots
- Blurriness
- Cloudy vision
- Dark spots
- Distorted images
Patients with this condition may experience situations where they see pale colors when the actual colors of the image are brighter or sharper. Straight lines may appear wavy, they may see a gray or dark spot on an image, or the size of an object can seem smaller than its actual size.
Who is at Risk for Developing Macular Degeneration?
Seniors have a higher risk for developing the condition than other age groups, commonly referred to as Age-Related Macular Degeneration, or AMD for short. Although doctors don’t know exactly why, one possible reason is that the eyes simply change as part of the natural aging process. As the body changes, certain aspects of our health can change with it. The CDC estimates that 1.8 million Americans over the age of 40 have AMD and that this is likely to increase to 2.9 million by 2020. If you’re over 60 and have significant visual impairment, you may have AMD. This eye disease is the primary cause of Low Vision for seniors. If left untreated, the condition can deteriorate and cause blindness.
Gender is a factor in Age-Related Macular Degeneration cases. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, women make up 65% of AMD patients. Some suggest this is due to the fact that women generally live longer than men, while others believe that a lack of women’s health care in certain regions is to blame. Patients with a family history of the disease are far more likely to develop it, as well. Genetics often play a key role in various health issues, and eye health is certainly no exception.
Other risks for developing AMD include:
- Excessive exposure to UV rays
- Smoking
- Poor diet
- Lack of physical activity
- Obesity
- Medications
If you or a loved one is experiencing any of these symptoms or there is a history of the disease in your family, speak to an IALVS doctor to request a consultation. Our eye doctors can run a number of diagnostic tests and recommend a personal course of treatment or visual devices to help you.
Juvenile Macular Degeneration
Although AMD is common among seniors, young children and teenagers can develop a version of the disease called Juvenile Macular Degeneration, also known as Stargardt’s Disease. It is a genetic condition, inherited from one or both parents, and usually begins in childhood or early adolescence. Stargardt’s Disease causes central vision loss.
Juvenile Retinoschisis, a form of Juvenile Macular Degeneration, is more prevalent in boys and young men. It can be dangerous because it can lead to retinal detachment. If left untreated, that can lead to permanent vision loss. For children and teens, vision loss can be particularly traumatic because the inability to learn, play sports, or participate in extracurricular activities on par with their peers can seriously impact their lives.