Macular Degeneration
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85% of all Macula Degeneration (or AMD) are dry eye cases and occur in the over 55’s.
During the early stages of the condition, you may notice difficulty reading small print and seeing fine detail. At this stage, you may find stronger reading lenses and a good quality reading light will help your vision.
While no treatment is available for Dry Macula Degeneration, we prescribe vitamin supplements with high doses of antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, to slow the progression and, in some patients, to improve visual acuity. The earlier the disease is detected the better chance of slowing its progression.
The “wet” form of advanced AMD, causes vision loss due to abnormal blood vessel growth.
If left untreated a rapid loss of vision will occur. Treatments with new drugs, called anti-angiogenics or anti-VEGF (anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) agents, can cause regression of the abnormal blood vessels and improvement of vision when injected directly into the vitreous humor of the eye.
This is an example of how your vision might be impacted if you had AMD
Check yourself
The Amsler Grid
The Amsler Grid may be helpful in revealing signs of wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). It is not a subsititute for regular eye tests.
Directions:
1. If you wear glasses or contact lenses for reading them the on but do not wear varifocals or distance glasses.
2. Stay at approximately 12 inches (30 cm) from the screen in front of your eyes, or you may print it and hold it directly in front of your eyes in a well lit room.
3. Cover one eye with your hand and focus on the centre dot with your uncovered eye. Repeat with your other eye.
4. If you see wavy, broken or distorted lines, blurred or missing areas of the vision, you may be displaying symptoms of AMD and you should contact your Optician within the next week.
If you know anyone with AMD, please feel free to share the animation below:
