Macular degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration, sometimes abbreviated AMD or ARMD, is a disease that affects the central part of the retina called the macula, which allows you to see fine details clearly. The disease causes damage to the macula and results in blurring of your central vision. It is a leading cause of blindness among older Americans and is more common in individuals of European ancestry.
Symptoms of macular degeneration
The most common symptom of macular degeneration is blurriness in the center of your vision. Patients may also experience abnormal dark or unclear spots in their vision called scotomas. A patient with macular degeneration may also have distorted vision where straight lines could appear crooked. If you experience any of these symptoms, see your doctor as soon as possible to be sure they are not indicative of this serious problem.
One symptom that is not part of the disease spectrum of macular degeneration is pain. It is a painless disease, and visual symptoms are the most common.
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Types of macular degeneration
There are two types of macular degeneration: dry and wet. Dry macular degeneration happens when the light-sensitive cells in the macula stop working or break down. Wet macular degeneration happens when new blood vessels grow underneath the retina.
Dry ARMD makes up the majority of ARMD, accounting for 85-90% of cases of ARMD. It usually does not cause severe vision loss. While wet macular degeneration makes up only about one-tenth of cases, it does, unfortunately, cause severe vision loss.
Who gets macular degeneration?
This disease becomes more common as people get older. In fact, the risk increases more than three-fold in patients who are older than 75 years old when compared to patients between 65 and 74 years old. A patient’s risk for macular degeneration also goes up if they smoke. Some people are at higher risk because they have a family history of macular degeneration, or they are genetically susceptible. Other risk factors include having cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, female gender assigned at birth, white race, having high cholesterol, obesity, and having light-colored eyes.
Macular degeneration treatment
There's no cure for macular degeneration, but sometimes treatment can help slow it down or prevent it from getting worse. Certain vitamins may help if you have dry macular degeneration, and laser surgery might help if you have wet macular degeneration and new blood vessels are forming under your retina. There are also medications that can be injected into the eye to help improve swelling in the retina that occurs with age-related macular degeneration. Your doctor may also suggest low vision aids that can help improve how you see.
How can you test for ARMD?
The Amsler grid is a tool your eye doctor may use to test for macular degeneration. If you have this eye condition, straight lines in the grid can look wavy, or some of the boxes in the grid may be missing. If you have been instructed to use an Amsler grid at home, do so as often as directed. If you notice any changes in how the grid looks to you, report them to your doctor right away.
The absolute best way to evaluate for macular degeneration is to have a complete eye exam with your ophthalmologist. In addition to examining your retina with special lenses, your ophthalmologist can use highly sophisticated cameras and equipment in the office to look for evidence of swelling or new blood vessels in your retinal tissues.
The sooner you catch macular degeneration, the better your chances of halting its progression before it impacts your life. Don't risk losing your vision and be sure to see your ophthalmologist at regular intervals to evaluate your retina.
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Sources:
Klein R, Klein BEk, Linton KLP (1992). Prevalence of Age-related Maculopathy-The Beaver Dam Eye Study. Ophthalmology 99(6): 933-943.
Leibowitz Hm, Krueger DE, Maunder LR, et al (1980) The Framingham Eye Study Monograph. Surv Ophthalmol 24:335-610.
https://eyewiki.aao.org/Age-Related_Macular_Degeneration#cite_note-klein1-3