Macular degeneration: How to prevent & treat the disease

Define

The macula is made up of millions of light-sensing cells, providing sharp central vision. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), normally, the retina converts light into electrical signals. These signals are transmitted through the optic nerve to the brain.

When the macula is damaged, the center of vision (the space the eye covers when looking fixedly at one point) can become blurred, distorted, or dark. Macular degeneration is characterized by a buildup of yellow deposits underneath the retina, called drusen.

Symptom

Macular degeneration does not cause complete blindness because it does not affect peripheral vision. However, the disease can significantly affect daily activities such as driving, reading, writing, cooking, doing some housework, and recognizing faces or colors.

A person may have macular degeneration in only one eye or one eye may have it more severely than the other.

Basic symptoms include:

• Reduced or distorted central vision in one or both eyes
• Reduced ability to see or distinguish colors
• A blind or blurred spot, usually in the central visual field
• Overall vision is blurred

This condition has few symptoms in the early stages. Sometimes, when it starts in just one eye, the unaffected eye compensates on its own, so the sufferer may not immediately notice changes in vision.

As macular degeneration progresses, the blurred area near the center of vision may become larger or blank spots may be seen in central vision.

Reason

The exact cause of macular degeneration is unknown, but is related to both genetic and environmental factors. People with a family history of the disease are at higher risk.

Certain personal and lifestyle characteristics are associated with a higher risk:

• Age: Increasing age is one of the main risk factors for age-related macular degeneration. The risk of this disease increases with age, usually occurring after age 55, but can sometimes develop earlier.
• Smoking: Smoking is associated with both a higher risk and faster progression of the disease
• Cardiovascular disease: People with high blood pressure, atherosclerosis (clogged arteries), or a history of cardiovascular disease are at higher risk of macular degeneration.
• Sun exposure: Prolonged exposure to the sun without appropriate eye protection is another risk factor for the disease.

Classify

Age-related macular degeneration has two forms: dry and wet.

Dry macular degenerationalso known as atrophic AMD due to the thinning or atrophy of the macula. There are three stages of dry AMD: early, intermediate and late. According to the US National Eye Institute, any stage of dry AMD can progress to wet macular degeneration.

Wet macular degenerationalso known as neovascular AMD due to abnormal blood vessel growth that occurs behind the macula in this advanced stage of the disease

Wet macular degeneration affects about 10% of people with AMD. Wet AMD can develop in one of two ways.

In some cases, vision loss is caused by abnormal growth of blood vessels from the choroid (a layer of blood vessels between the retina and sclera) into the macula. These abnormal blood vessels can leak fluid or blood, affecting retinal function.

In other cases, vision loss is caused by a buildup of fluid leaking from the choroid. This fluid can accumulate between the choroid and the eye’s retinal pigment epithelium (a pigmented layer of the retina located just behind the light-sensitive layers of the macula), causing a swollen and deformed macula.

Diagnose

To diagnose macular degeneration, an ophthalmologist may perform a number of tests including:

• Basic eye exam
• Amsler grid test (a vision test)
• Fluorescein angiography
• Optical tomography
• Basic eye exam

Treatment

Take medicine

Photodynamic therapy (PDT)

Uses a type of laser to break up the blood vessels in the eye that are causing vision loss.

Change your lifestyle

There are currently no medical treatments that can reverse vision loss from macular degeneration, but lifestyle changes can help people with the condition. These methods include:

• Use visual aids such as magnifying glasses
• Increase indoor lighting
• Software and mobile apps make navigating computers and phones easier

Prevent

Some measures reduce the risk of developing macular degeneration and help control the condition in people who already have it:

• Quit smoking because smokers are more likely to develop macular degeneration
• Exercise regularly
• Maintain a reasonable weight.
• Eat a diet rich in antioxidants and other nutrients, often found in fruits and vegetables, along with fish.
• Wear sunglasses with maximum UV protection and a hat when outdoors, especially if you are taking light-sensitive medications.
• A healthy diet can also slow or delay disease progression. The Mediterranean diet, which focuses on vegetables, whole grains, fish, fruits, nuts, beans and olive oil, is associated with a lower incidence of advanced macular degeneration.