Your Complete Guide to Age-Related Macular Degeneration
February is Age-Related Macular Degeneration Month in the eye care industry and beyond, so many optometrists are doing everything they can to draw attention to this eye disease. Since this disease affects the eyesight of so many people, especially our older loved ones, it’s a good idea to know as much as we can about it.
Read on for a complete guide to Age-Related Macular Degeneration, and make sure you check in with your eye doctor this month for a complete eye examination.
What Is AMD?
AMD is a disease characterized by damage to the macula, which is the small spot near the middle of the retina needed for sharp central vision – in other words, to clearly see objects straight ahead. It is a leading cause of vision loss among those 50 years of age and older.
AMD can advance at different speeds, with some cases occurring so slowly that vision loss is not apparent for many years after the disease begins. In other cases, vision loss may set in rapidly, leading to blurriness or loss of vision in the eye very quickly. While AMD does not lead to total blindness, the loss of central vision is a serious impairment.
Who Gets AMD?
Usually AMD occurs in people over 60 and is more common in smokers, among Caucasians, and in those who have a family history of AMD. Those who make healthy lifestyle choices such as not smoking, exercising, staying fit and healthy, and eating a fish- and vegetable-rich diet, may reduce their risk of AMD.
Can You Test for AMD?
Yes, your eye doctor can easily test for AMD with a dilated eye exam. He or she may ask you to look at an Amsler Grid, or to take a visual acuity test. A fluorescein angiogram or optical coherence tomography can also test for AMD.
How Can You Treat AMD?
In the early stages of AMD, there are usually no symptoms and hence, nothing to treat, as there is no cure. If your AMD is discovered early, it is a good idea to adopt healthy lifestyle habits that may slow the loss of vision.
Once the AMD reaches the stage where symptoms are apparent, they can be treated with vitamin supplements. A daily intake of high doses of vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, copper, and beta-carotene have been shown to be effective in treating AMD-related vision loss.
Once the condition reaches advanced neovascular AMD with severe vision loss as a symptom, possible treatments include Anti-VEGF injections, photodynamic therapy, and laser surgery. Most of these procedures tend to limit further vision loss, rather than restore already lost vision.
Making Sure to Identify AMD Before It’s Too Late
Remember that even though AMD-caused vision loss cannot be reversed, there are low vision services you or your AMD-afflicted loved one can take advantage of that can help them bring their functioning back near a level that it was before their vision loss. These services are most effective when the patient starts using them as soon as AMD starts to noticeably affect vision.
It’s also important to keep an open dialogue with your eye care professional about your eye health and the consequences of AMD or any other diseases of the eye you may have. The better informed you are, the better equipped you will be to deal with your current and future vision situation.