An introduction to macular degeneration: Symptoms, causes and more (1)

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Macular Degeneration
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Macular Degeneration

• The front of the eye contains a lens that
  focuses images on the retina in the back of the
  eye. The retina contains special nerve cells that
  react to light. These nerve cells are very close
  together in the middle of the retina, where the
  eye focuses the images that we see. This part of
  the retina is called the macula. The macula
  provides sharp vision that enables you to see
  small detail, read fine print, recognize faces,
  and see signboards. Macular degeneration is an
  eye disease and is the most common type of
  macular damage in adults. Because the disease
  develops as a person ages, it is often known as
  age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is
  the leading cause of vision loss in people over
  the age of 50 around the world.

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Causes of age-related macular degeneration

• The precise cause of age-related macular
  degeneration is unknown to the medical
  fraternity. However, there are some risk factors
  including
• Genetic factors
• Nutritional factors
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• Exposure to direct sunlight over a period of
  years
• Certain medical conditions
• There are two types of age-related macular
  degeneration, the dry and the wet form.

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Causes of age-related macular degeneration
Continue

• The dry form affects about 85-90 percent of
  patients and usually begins when tiny yellow
  deposits called drusen appear in the
  macula. Drusen usually do not cause serious loss
  of vision, but can distort vision. The wet form
  occurs in about 10-15 percent of patients. It is
  caused by the growth of abnormal blood vessels
  beneath the macula that can leak fluid and blood
  into the eye. The wet form normally causes major
  vision problems, such as blind spots and loss of
  central vision, in the affected eye, and can
  advance rapidly.

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Symptoms

• Age-related macular degeneration doesn't have
  symptoms and is not recognized until it affects
  vision. The first symptom of this eye disease is
  usually noticed when straight lines appear wavy.
  This may lead to a gradual loss of central
  vision. Other symptoms include
• Blurring and dimming of vision
• A dark or blank spot in the centre of the vision
• The size or colour of something looks different
  when viewed through different eyes

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Treatments

• Although there is no treatment to reverse the
  dry form of age-related macular degeneration,
  eyesight may be helped with low-vision aids,
  e.g., devices that have special lenses that
  produce enlarged images of nearby objects. They
  help people with partial vision make the most of
  their remaining vision. Several options are
  available to treat the wet form of age-related
  macular degeneration, but not all are appropriate
  or successful for all patients. These treatments
  include 
• Anti-angiogenesis medications There are several
  drugs that prevent the growth of abnormal blood
  vessels. These drugs are injected into the eye to
  cause the blood vessels to shrink. This treatment
  may improve vision in some patients and stabilize
  it in most patients.

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Treatments
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• Photodynamic therapy The eye doctor injects a
  light-sensitive drug into the bloodstream to be
  absorbed by the abnormal blood vessels in the
  eye. He/She then shines a cold laser into the eye
  to activate the drug, damaging the abnormal blood
  vessels.
• Laser therapy High-energy lights are used to
  destroy actively growing abnormal blood vessels.
• Unfortunately, age-related macular degeneration
  can return even after successful treatment. The
  various treatments can slow the rate of vision
  loss and hopefully preserve some sight.

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