Macula
What is macular degeneration?
Macular degeneration is a condition in which the eye's macula breaks
down, causing a gradual or sudden loss of central vision.
The macula lutea is the part of the retina and is a small area just two
millimeters wide, in the middle portion of the retina. The center
portion of the macula is referred to as the fovea, and contains the
highest concentration of rods and cones. It is responsible for central
vision and allows us to see fine detail, such as recognizing a face,
reading, or watching television.
Macular degeneration is a condition that may begin to develop as one
ages, but usually does not manifest itself until later in life. It
occurs when the cells (rods and cones) in the macula degrade, causing
loss of sight in the central part of the field of vision, but leaving
peripheral vision intact.
Most often vision loss starts in one eye. Because the healthy eye
compensates for the loss of vision in the damaged eye, macular
degeneration may initially go unnoticed. In many cases it will
ultimately affect vision in the other eye as well.
What are the symptoms of macular degeneration?
Early signs include: straight lines appearing wavy, fuzzy vision,
and shadowy areas in your central vision. Your eye doctor may find
indicators before you have any symptoms, so regular eye exams can mean
an early diagnosis.
How is Macular Degeneration or AMD detected?
In the early stages of AMD, a person's vision may become blurred or
distorted. A retinal examination, with the help of special tests like
Fluorescein Angiography etc. can help the eye specialist to diagnose
the condition. Since many times the patient may not notice the initial
distortion or blurring of vision, the key to preventing vision loss due
to AMD is regular eye examinations for patients above 40 years of age.
What are the types of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)?
Dry AMD - The retina becomes thinner (atrophic) and stops
functioning. This may cause some people to detect "blank" areas in
their central vision. It occurs in 90 percent of the reported cases. It
is typically not associated with blindness but with loss of visual
acuity. However, if left untreated, it could progress into wet
AMD.While there is no treatment available for people with dry AMD,
various low vision aids are available to help these people see well and
perform daily activities.
Wet AMD - Abnormal blood vessels grow under the macula. These
abnormal vessels leak fluid and blood, and thus cause swelling and scar
tissue formation, leading to distorted vision and severe vision loss.
How important is early detection of macular degeneration?
AMD causes irreversible loss of vision; the treatment methods
available try to preserve vision, but cannot improve it. Hence it is
extremely important to detect this disease at an early stage, before it
causes significant vision loss.
What are the treatments available for macular degeneration?
Antioxidants and Multivitamin capsules help in preventing or
decreasing the speed of progression of the disease. In wet AMD,
additional methods of treatment are required to arrest or at least
retard the progression of the disease.
The ophthalmologist decides the best treatment option after examination and discussion with the patient.
The most popular and established modes of treatment are:
Conventional Laser: burns the abnormal blood vessels and thus stops the
leakage. However, since it also damages the normal retina structures,
it may itself lead to decreased vision. Hence, it is suitable only in
selected cases where the new vessels are not very close to the central
macular area.
Photo Dynamic therapy (PDT): involves the injection of a special dye
that binds to the abnormal blood vessels. After the injection, this
area is treated by a special laser which selectively destroys the
abnormal blood vessels without much damage to the normal structures.
Transpupillary Thermo-Therapy (TTT): uses a special delivery system of
Infra red laser which heats up the abnormal blood vessels and causes
its closure, without much damage to the normal retinal structures. The
aim of the treatment is to try to preserve the vision and not to
improve the vision.
Is there any way to prevent macular degeneration?
Doctors aren't sure how to prevent macular degeneration. Research
suggests that ultraviolet light (and possibly blue light) factors into
the problem, so sunglasses could be very beneficial. Read more about
sunglasses.
What you eat also affects your macula. Researchers think that
antioxidants (vitamins A, C and E), zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin and
essential fatty acids all can aid in preventing macular degeneration.
Read more about nutrition and eye health.
Exercising and quitting smoking might also be helpful. Top
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