Although many diseases have symptoms, some do not in the early phases. Getting a basic idea of what macular degeneration is, what the symptoms look like, and what to do for treatment of the eye condition can be important, particularly if you have any reason to believe you are suffering from it.
What Is Macular Degeneration?
Macular degeneration is an eye condition that impacts over 10 million people in America. Macular degeneration can occur as a result of an individual’s genes, which is why it can be a good idea to have regular visits at an eye center with an eye specialist. Aside from inheriting the disease, it is known that the environment may be a factor in the cause. However, there is still much that is unknown about the eye condition, including more specific causes of it.
Symptoms of Macular Degeneration
Being aware of the macular degeneration symptoms can be essential, especially when it comes to preventing further progress of the ailment.
Macular degeneration signs and symptoms can include:
-Some vision loss
-Not seeing images properly
-Blurriness and distortion
-Difficulty seeing in darker lighting
-Missing spots
Even though experiencing some of these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you have the eye condition, you should still check with an eye specialist at an eye medical center.
Treatment
Although there are treatments, there is not a cure for macular degeneration at this time. Treatment decisions are based on accurate diagnosis. This often involves Multimodal Ophthalmic testing. Tests may include OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography), Retinal Photographs, Fluorescein Angiography and Indocyanine Green Angiography.
There are two main types of Macular Degeneration: Dry and Wet.
The dry form is by far the most common and typically is slowly progressive. Special vitamins may be able to slow the progressions. There are ongoing studies of medications to treat this condition.
The wet form of macular degeneration can have an acute onset and be rapidly progressive. FDA approved treatments include LUCENTIS® and EYLEA® injections or “off-label” injections. Occasionally older treatments, such as VISUDYNE® Photodynamic Therapy or Thermal Laser are used. Treatment of wet macular degeneration can be very effective and vision can frequently be improved or maintained.
At the Fort Lauderdale Eye Institute we are also involved in many research protocols for the latest treatment options for wet and dry macular degeneration, so you will always be offered the most up-to-date care.
If you think you may have or be at risk for macular degeneration, please call for an appointment with the fellowship-trained retina specialists at Fort Lauderdale Eye Institute.
