What is Macular Degeneration?
Macular degeneration is a common eye disorder that typically affects those older than 50. This condition occurs when a part of the retina called the macula is damaged.The macula is the pigmented part of the retina located in the center. Its function is to translate light into the eye and is responsible for your central vision and seeing objects in your direct line of sight. Damage to the macula results in blurred or loss of central vision.
There are two types of macular degeneration; Dry macular degeneration and wet macular degeneration. Dry macular degeneration usually progresses slowly over years, but may progress to wet macular degeneration which progresses suddenly, resulting in serious vision loss or changes.
Macular degeneration may first develop in one or both eyes but will eventually affect both eyes. Over time, vision may worsen, though it is typically just central and most people retain their peripheral vision. This loss or blurring of sight may begin affecting your ability to do everyday tasks, such as reading, driving or recognizing faces. To prevent or slow further vision loss due to macular degeneration, Early detection and self-care measures are crucial and we highly recommend maintaining regular eye exams, especially as we age.
What are the symptoms of Macular Degeneration?
Symptoms of macular degeneration differ for each individual depending on the severity of the case. Common symptoms include:
- Blurry or fuzzy vision
- Straight lines appear wavy
- Seeing a dark, empty area or blind spot appear in the center of your vision
- Loss of central vision or seeing objects in your direct line of vision
- Decreased intensity or brightness of colors
The symptoms of macular degeneration often look like other eye conditions. This is why it is important to speak with an eye care professional for the proper diagnosis.
What are the causes of Macular Degeneration?
Macular degeneration is linked with thinning of the macula along with the appearance and growth of bits of fats and proteins, called drusen. These pieces of drusen collect under the retina, damaging the macula. Doctors do not know exactly what causes drusen or where it comes from, but they are thought to be small pieces of waste from the retina that are not able to be properly recycled or discarded. This theory leads researchers to believe that a combination of heredity and environmental factors, such as smoking, diet, and lifestyle, may be the root cause.
Wet Macular degeneration occurs when extra blood vessels form in the eye, under the macula. These blood vessels often begin to leak blood and fluid in the eye, causing damage and vision loss. Like drusen, doctors are not clear why these blood vessels form. However, many believe it may be the body’s response to the invasive drusen, in its effort to clear it.
How will you know if you have it? What are the treatment options?
There are many markers to indicate you may have macular degeneration or are exhibiting symptoms. Some signs that to look out for are:
- Trouble seeing fine details
- Difficulty recognizing faces, words, or objects
- Needing brighter light for close-up work, such as reading
- Increased difficulty adapting to low light levels
- Printed words appearing blurred
- Inability to tell colors apart
There are also many factors that may raise your risks for developing macular degeneration. It is important to keep these in mind and pay extra attention to your eye health if you are prone to macular degeneration. Risk factors include:
- Gender (About ⅔ of those with macular degeneration are women)
- Age (Almost ⅓ of those with macular degeneration are over the age of 75)
- Race and ethnicity (People of Caucasian descent have the highest risk of macular degeneration, followed by Chinese and Hispanic/Latino descent)
- Heredity (Researchers have identified several genes related to the development of macular degeneration, it is important to know your family’s health history)
- Smoking (People that smoke have a 4x greater chance of developing macular degeneration than those that do not smoke. This is due to the lack of oxygen to different body parts.)
- High blood pressure (Similar to smoking, the lack of oxygen to the body, due to high blood pressure, puts those at a higher risk for developing macular degeneration.)
- Obesity (A handful of studies have shown that a body mass index of 30 may heighten your risk of developing macular degeneration by more than double)
- Diet and alcohol (High-fat, high-sugar diets that lack nutrients may increase your risk for macular degeneration, as well as drinking more than 3 alcoholic drinks per day.)
Although there is currently no cure for macular degeneration, routine eye exams allow doctors to identify early signs and prescribe a treatment plan. One of the most common treatments are high-dose nutritional supplements formulated by the AREDS (Age-Related Eye Disease Study). The study found that a particular combination of high-dose vitamins and minerals can be used to slow down both wet and dry age-related macular degeneration. The combination includes fairly common antioxidants, vitamins C and E, copper, and zinc. These supplements provide nutrients in much higher doses than regular multivitamins or through diet.
Another treatment option for wet macular degeneration is Anti-angiogenic drugs. This treatment will help to stop new blood vessels from forming and slow or prevent leaking from the abnormal vessels that cause wet AMD. This treatment is done through an injection in the eye, after your doctor deadens the area. In some cases, people who have gotten these drugs have been able to regain the vision they lost from wet macular degeneration, though repeat treatments may be necessary.
Other treatment options include the two-step treatment of photodynamic therapy, which uses laser along with injected medication in the eye to create blood clots in the abnormal vessels to stop leaking. Laser therapy may also be an option as a high-energy laser light can close up and sometimes eliminate actively growing abnormal blood vessels in the eye. Low vision aids are also a strong option to make the most of an individual’s remaining vision.
People rarely lose all of their sight from macular degeneration but it is important to be mindful of the signs and risk factors to prevent loss of central vision or blind spots. See your doctor if you think you are experiencing symptoms of macular degeneration before vision loss worsens.
