Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is the main cause of loss of vision and
blindness for people over the age of sixty-five. There is degeneration of the
macula which is part of the retina that gives us central vision. There are two
forms of macular degeneration, wet and dry.
Wet macular degeneration, also known as neovascular degeneration,
is when blood vessels grow in an area where they don't naturally grow. These
blood vessels leak blood and fluid which causes permanent damage to retinal
cells that are light sensitive. Some of cells die off and create blind spots in
vision. The body tries to fix this problem by creating a new network of blood
vessels to supply nutrients and oxygen to the eye's retina. This process works
against the body as only more scarring occurs. There are two types of wet
macular degeneration, occult and classic. Occult is less severe because there
is less blood vessel growth and leakage. Classic degeneration is when scarring
and blood vessel growth is very clear, producing more severe vision loss. In
general, the neovascular version of macular degeneration leads to more serious
vision loss than the non-neovasuclar.
Dry macular degeneration, or non-neovascular, results from either
thinning of muscular tissues due to age or the deposition of pigment in the
macula. Yellow spots begin to build up around the macula. These are thought to
be deteriorating tissue.
Age-related Macular Degeneration
This normally is slow and takes place over a long period of time
with no pain. However, vision loss can be sudden. You can detect early signs of
macular degeneration through a retinal exam. If there is a problem with your
central vision may have you get a flourescein angioprahy to check the blood
vessels around the macula.
Risk factors
Some risk factors include age, obesity and inactivity, genes and
heredity, high blood pressure, lighter eye color and smoking.
Cure/prevention
There is currently no FDA-approved treatment for non-neovascular
(dry) degeneration. There are treatments to i prove vision or delay its
progression. However, you can prevent macular degeneration from happening by
exercising, wearing sunglasses that block the sun's UV rays, and eating a
healthy diet. For wet macular degeneration, there are FDA approved drugs like
Lucentis, Eyelea, Macugen, and Visudyne.
References:
http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/amd.htm
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