Diagnosing and Care for Macular Degeneration

The eye is a fascinating organ in the way it works and in how it changes with age. The retina senses light at the back of the eye and sends image signals to the brain. As the eye ages, the macula, a small section of the retina wears down. This results in a condition known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD affects the eye causing severe vision problems. AMD affects mostly older people whose retina is affected by old age.
 

Stargardt disease is another form of macular degeneration affecting young people and children. It is mostly inherited from other family members. Stargardt disease happens due to the degeneration of photoreceptor cells in the center of the retina. Progression of vision loss varies on the severity of the condition. In most cases, it accelerates fast then it levels off while retaining some peripheral vision.

 

What Are the Symptoms?

Macular degeneration presents in two forms.
 

Dry Form: Patients with dry form experience yellow deposits called drusen in their macula. They grow bigger with time making the condition worse. In time, the photosensitive cells in the macular thin out causing blind spots. The patient eventually loses their central vision.
 

Wet form: The patient’s blood vessels leak fluid in the retina causing distorted vision. Compromised blood vessels form scar tissue in the macular leading to central vision loss.
 

Early-onset macular degeneration has no major symptoms. As it progresses, the patient experiences a blurry vision. Dark spots in the center of the eyes and distorted images also characterize macular degeneration. Some patients even experience color distortion, shapes distortion as well as false prediction of distance and speeds.

 

Macular Degeneration Diagnosis

AMD is diagnosed by a series of eye tests. Your doctor examines your eye to see if he or she can spot yellow spots under the retina. You are also presented with an Amsler grid to test your sight. An Amsler grid is a pattern of lines on a grid-like checkerboard with a dot in the middle.
 

If the patient sees distortion or some missing lines, then they may present with macular degeneration. The doctor may also check for blood vessels leaking fluid in the retina. The earlier a diagnosis is made, the higher the chances of saving the patient from permanent vision loss.

 

Treatment and Care

There is no permanent cure for macular degeneration. However, patients can manage the condition to slow it down and reduce the chances of permanent vision loss. Laser therapy can destroy blood vessels growing abnormally in your eye. Sub macular surgery is also an option where abnormal blood vessels and fluid are surgically removed from the retina.
 

The doctor can rotate the center of the macular to avoid the abnormal blood cells and focus the retina on a healthy side. It is then accompanied by laser treatment of the blood cells to minimize scarring in the macular.
 

Taking prescription anti-angiogenesis drugs help in stopping vessel leakage in the retina. Patients can also manage the condition by using special prescription glasses. These glasses use special electronic systems to enlarge images for the patient to see better.


 

For more information on macular degeneration, visit Ridgeview Eye Care today. To book an appointment in our Olathe, Kansas office, call (913) 270-8598, and for our De Soto, Kansas office, call (913) 270-6017.