What are the symptoms of macular degeneration?
Macular degeneration is a common eye condition that affects millions of people, especially those over the age of 60. It occurs when the macula, the part of the eye that helps with sharp central vision, begins to deteriorate. While macular degeneration can be a serious condition, the good news is that it can be treated effectively with early detection and diagnosis.
What are the symptoms of macular degeneration?
Typically, macular degeneration affects the central vision, meaning that objects and faces in the center of your field of vision become increasingly blurred and distorted. You may also experience difficulty reading, recognizing faces, and seeing colors. Some other symptoms include blind spots, bright flashes of light or dark patches, and a decrease in overall visual acuity.
The symptoms of macular degeneration will get worse over time, which makes it extremely important to have an eye exam as soon as you notice anything even slightly wrong with your vision.
If you're experiencing any of these warning signs, it's important to set up an appointment with your doctor for a complete diagnosis. Early diagnosis can help your doctor create an appropriate treatment plan that can help slow down the progression of the disease. Your doctor may also recommend lifestyle modifications that can help reduce risk factors and protect your sight.
What are the risk factors and prevention steps for macular degeneration?
Risk factors for macular degeneration can include genetic disposition, age, increased blood pressure, obesity, smoking and high cholesterol. Prevention steps and regular eye exams can go a long way toward keeping the devastating effects of macular degeneration at bay.
Prevention is one of the best things you can do to reduce the risks of macular degeneration. A healthy diet is a good first step: fish and green leafy vegetables can be very helpful. Vitamins with high levels of certain antioxidants (E, C, A, and beta-carotene with zinc) have been found to offer significant benefits when it comes to reducing the likelihood of macular degeneration.
What are the different forms of macular degeneration?
There are two forms of macular degeneration: dry and wet. Dry macular degeneration is the most common type of this condition. Although there are currently no viable treatment options for dry macular degeneration, the condition is typically very slow to progress. Visual aids and certain vitamin therapies may be able to reduce some of the symptoms and preserve as much central vision as possible for some patients. Regular eye exams and consistent monitoring is very important to prevent dry macular degeneration from becoming a serious threat to your overall vision.
Dry AMD occurs when the light-sensitive cells in the macula slowly break down, gradually blurring central vision in the affected eye. As dry AMD gets worse, you may see a blurred spot in the center of your vision. Over time, as less of the macula functions, central vision in the affected eye can be lost. If you have vision loss from dry AMD in one eye only, you may not notice any changes in your overall vision.
With the other eye seeing clearly, you can still drive, read, and see fine details. You may notice changes in your vision only if AMD affects both eyes. If you experience blurry vision, please call to make an appointment with us here at Perich Eye Center.
Dry AMD has three stages — early AMD, intermediate AMD, and advanced dry AMD. All of these may occur in one or both eyes. People with early dry AMD have either several small drusen or a few medium sized drusen. Drusen are yellow deposits under the retina, which often are found in people over age 50. People with early AMD have no symptoms and no vision loss.
If you have intermediate dry AMD you may have either many medium-sized drusen or one or more large drusen. You may also see a blurred spot in the center of their vision, or need more light for reading and other tasks. In addition to drusen, people with advanced dry AMD have a breakdown of light-sensitive cells and supporting tissue in the macula. This breakdown can cause a blurred spot in the center of your vision.
Over time, the blurred spot may get bigger and darker, taking more of your central vision. You may have difficulty reading or recognizing the faces of other people until they are very close to you.
Wet (neovascular) macular degeneration is the most serious type. It can develop and progress extraordinarily fast. Caused by the abnormal formation of blood vessels and subsequent leakage of blood or fluid between the layers of the retina, wet macular degeneration can result in permanent tissue damage. Central vision loss and reduction in the ability to see fine details can be effects of wet macular degeneration.
If wet macular degeneration occurs in one eye, the risk of it affecting the other eye is increased. There are some treatments available that can slow vision loss and even improve eyesight for patients affected by wet macular degeneration; however, early diagnosis is vital.
Wet macular degeneration is considered to be advanced and is usually more severe than the dry form. All people who have the wet form first had the dry form. The dry form can advance and cause vision loss without turning into the wet form. The dry form also can suddenly turn into the wet form, even during the early stages. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell if or when the dry form will turn into the wet form.
While macular degeneration can be a serious and traumatic condition to experience, there is hope. By catching the warning signs early, you can take action and enjoy a healthier and more productive life. So if you suspect that you may be suffering from this condition, don't hesitate to contact us today to schedule a consultation at one of our six Perich Eye Center locations.
