What is Macular degeneration?
Macular degeneration is a eye related disease it is also known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD), is a medical condition there result you get blurry vision in the center of the visual area. At first, there are often no detecting symptoms.
However, over time, some people experience a gradual deterioration in vision that can affect one or both eyes.
Although it does not lead to complete blindness, loss of central vision can make it difficult to recognize faces, drive, read, or perform other activities of daily living. Visual hallucinations can also occur, but they do not represent mental illness.
Macular degeneration usually occurs in older adults. Genetic factors and exesecive smoking also play a role of macular disease. It is always cause and due to damage to the macula part of eye. Diagnosis is made by a comprehensive eye exam. Gravity is divide into early, middle, and late types. In addition, the late type is divide into “dry” and “wet” forms and the dry form constitutes 90% of cases.
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Preventive efforts include exercising, eating right, and not smoking. There is no treatment or treatment that restores vision already lost. In the wet form, injections of anti-VEGF drugs into the eye, laser coagulation, or photodynamic therapy can delay progression. Antioxidant vitamins and minerals do not appear to be beneficial for prevention. However, supplements can slow the progression of the disease in those who are already infected.
Symptoms of Macular degeneration
Early or moderate AMD may be asymptomatic or may present with blurred or reduced vision in one or both eyes. This may initially appear as difficulty reading or driving (especially in dimly lit areas). Other symptoms of AMD include distorted vision and blind spots (particularly in and around the central visual field).
Common symptoms of macular degeneration include:
Shift-distorted vision, in which a network of straight lines appears wavy and parts of the network may appear empty – often first noticing by patients when looking at things such as small blinds in their homes or telephone poles while driving. There may also be central tumors, shadows, or missing areas of vision.
- Slow restoration of visual function after exposure to bright light (photostress test)
- Severe decrease in visual acuity (two levels or more), for example: 20/20 to 20/80
Blurred vision: People with non-exudative macular degeneration may be asymptomatic or notice a gradual loss of central vision, while people with exudative macular degeneration often notice a rapid onset of vision loss (often caused by leakage and bleeding from blood vessels abnormal).
Other Symptoms of Macular degeneration
- Difficulty distinguishing colors, specifically dark from dark and light from light.
- Loss of contrast sensitivity.
- Visual hallucinations and flashing lights are also form.
- This disease Associated with severe visual loss secondary to wet AMD
- Pink Eye or conjunctivitis
Macular degeneration alone will not lead to complete blindness. In fact, only a few blind people are blind. In almost cases, some vision remains, mainly marginal. and the other very complex conditions are lead to such an acute condition (severe stroke or trauma, untreated glaucoma, etc.), but few patients with macular degeneration they are completely there loss of vision.
The macula area consists of only about 2.1% of the retina, and the remaining 97.9% (peripheral field) is unaffecting by the disease. Although the macula provides a small portion of the visual field, about half of the visual cortex is dedicating to processing macular information.
Causes of Macular degeneration
No one knows exactly what causes dry macular degeneration. But research suggests that it can be affected by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, such as smoking, obesity, and diet.
The condition develops with age. Dry eye disease affects the macula, an area of the retina responsible for clear vision in the direct line of sight. Over time, the tissue in the macula can thin and lose the cells responsible for vision.
Stages of Macular degeneration
In AMD, there is s yellowish substance deposits in eye lipids, that is drusen (accumulation of extracellular proteins and lipids), in the macula (part of the retina), between the retinal pigment epithelium and the underlying choroid. This buildup is believe to damage the retina over time.
Amyloid beta, which accumulates in the brain from Alzheimer’s disease, is one of the proteins that accumulates in AMD, which is why AMD is sometimes is also know as “ocular Alzheimer’s” or “retinal Alzheimer’s.” this disease are dividing into 3 main stages: like early, middle, and late, depending on the extent of the drusen.
Early stage of macular degeneration
You may not realize you have macular degeneration in the first stage. The first symptom for most people is deterioration of night vision. Since deteriorating vision in general is common as you get older, you may not realize that something is wrong.
You may need brighter light for night tasks, and you may have trouble seeing in low light or seeing at night. If you’re having trouble seeing at night, talk to your doctor during a regular eye exam. Your doctor can look for signs of drusen.
Mid-stage macular degeneration
During this stage, the disease progresses to the point where you may have a blurry spot in your vision and you may begin to have a hard time seeing inconsistencies. Additionally, you can experience:
- Visual distortions
- Noise when reading the print
- Faded-looking colors
- Night vision problems
- Deterioration of central vision
Drusen deposits are largest during the intermediate stage and there may be pigment changes. Even at this point, you may not realize that there is a serious problem.
Late stage macular degeneration
In the during of the last stage of macular degeneration, vision problems increase very dramatically. Vision loss becomes noticeable, and you may have trouble recognizing faces, seeing details, and loss of central vision.
Risk factors for macular degeneration
Although scientists do not understand exactly why some people develop macular degeneration and others do not, there are some factors that increase the risk of developing it.
Your family history
It is important because there is a genetic component involve in this eye disease. If you know that someone in your family has macular degeneration, you should discuss it with your doctor. Your race matters. White people are more likely to get the disease than other races.
Smoking
This is a major risk factor because smokers are more likely to develop macular degeneration than non-smokers. If you are a smoker, you should consider quitting.
Obesity
Research suggests that obesity may increase the chance that early or moderate macular degeneration will develop into a more serious form of the disease.
Cardiovascular disease
If you have diseases that have affected your heart and blood vessels, you are more likely to develop this eye disorder.
Complications of Macular degeneration
People whose dry eye disease progresses to loss of central vision are at increased risk for depression and social isolation. With profound vision loss, people can see visual hallucinations (Charles Bonnet syndrome). Dry AMD can progress to wet AMD, which can cause rapid vision loss if left untreated.
Treatment of Macular degeneration
There is no cure for macular degeneration, but treatment can slow the progression of the disease. The sooner you receive treatment, the slower the drusen will spread and grow, which means your vision will be better for longer.
If you have risk factors for this disease or night vision problems, make an appointment at the Cooper Eye Center.
Prevention tips for Macular degeneration
It is important to have routine eye exams to identify the first signs of macular degeneration. The following measures can help reduce your risk of developing dry eye disease:
Manage your other medical conditions
For example, if you have cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure, take medication and follow your doctor’s instructions to manage the condition.
Do not smoke
Smokers are more likely to develop macular degeneration than non-smokers. Ask your doctor for help to quit smoking.
Maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly
If you need to lose weight, reduce the number of calories you eat and increase the amount of exercise you do each day.
Choose a diet rich in fruits and vegetables
Choose a healthy diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables. These foods contain antioxidant vitamins that reduce the risk of this eye disease.
Include fish in your diet. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, can reduce the risk of this eye disorder. Walnuts, like walnuts, also contain omega-3 fatty acids.
