Macular Degeneration
At Garibaldi Eye Care, we recognize the significant impact that macular degeneration, a common age-related vision condition, can have on your life. Our expert team is committed to providing comprehensive care and management to help preserve your vision and maintain your quality of life.
Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is a degenerative eye disease that primarily affects the central area of your retina, known as the macula. This area is responsible for your sharp, detailed vision, which you use for reading, driving, and recognizing faces. Macular degeneration can lead to a loss of this central vision.
The disease typically comes in two types:
- Dry Macular Degeneration (Atrophic): This is the most common form of the disease, accounting for about 80-90% of cases. It’s characterized by thinning of the macula, the part of the retina responsible for clear vision in a direct line of sight. Patients may not notice any changes to their image in the early stages because it tends to progress slowly.
- Wet Macular Degeneration (Neovascular): Although less common, wet macular degeneration is often more severe and progresses rapidly. It occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina and macula, leading to the leakage of fluid and blood. This leakage can cause the macula to bulge or lift, distorting or destroying central vision. Vision loss from this form of macular degeneration may be faster and more noticeable than dry.
In some cases, dry macular degeneration can progress into the wet form. That’s why monitoring eye health closely with regular check-ups is essential, mainly if macular degeneration has been diagnosed.
Risk Factors and Symptoms of Macular Degeneration
Several factors can increase your risk of developing macular degeneration:
- Age: The risk of macular degeneration increases significantly after age 60. However, it can occur earlier as well.
- Family History: Individuals with a family history of macular degeneration are at a higher risk of developing the condition.
- Smoking: Smoking doubles the risk of macular degeneration. It’s linked to the onset of early macular degeneration and can increase the severity of the disease.
- Cardiovascular Disease: Conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease, can increase the risk of macular degeneration.
- Obesity: Research has shown that being overweight increases the likelihood of early and late-stage macular degeneration.
- Race: Macular degeneration is more common in people of Caucasian descent than African or Hispanic descent.
- Prolonged Sun Exposure: Long-term exposure to sunlight, incredibly blue light, can increase the risk of macular degeneration.
Symptoms of macular degeneration may vary depending on the type and stage of the disease:
- Blurred or Distorted Vision: One of the first signs of macular degeneration can be a blurry area near the center of vision. Straight lines might also appear distorted or wavy.
- Dark or Empty Areas in Central Vision: As the disease progresses, you may experience dark, blurry areas in the center of your vision. This could lead to loss of central vision, which is necessary for tasks like reading and driving.
- Difficulty with Color Perception: Some people with macular degeneration find colors less bright than they used to be. In severe cases, they may struggle to tell the difference between dark colors from one another and light colors from one another.
- Trouble Adapting to Low Light Levels: Difficulty adapting to lower light levels, such as when entering a dimly lit restaurant from the bright outdoors, can be an early sign of macular degeneration.
- Decreased Intensity or Brightness of Colors: Colors may appear less intense or bright, which may be particularly noticeable with similar colors.
- The Need for Brighter Light for Reading and Other Activities: As macular degeneration impacts your central vision, you may need more light for activities that require detailed images, like reading or sewing.
Macular Degeneration Diagnosis and Staging
At Garibaldi Eye Care, we offer comprehensive eye exams tailored for detecting and managing macular degeneration. We employ advanced diagnostic tools to evaluate macular health and catch early signs of deterioration. We emphasize the importance of regular eye exams to ensure timely intervention.
Diagnostic Process for Macular Degeneration
- Visual Acuity Test checks how well you see at various distances. You’ll be asked to read letters on a chart, which gradually become smaller. This test can help identify general changes in your vision.
- Amsler Grid Test is used to detect vision problems resulting from damage to the macula. The grid consists of straight lines, with a reference dot in the center. The lines can seem bent, blurry, or missing if you have macular degeneration.
- Imaging studies can help identify changes in the retina. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and fluorescein angiography are the most commonly used methods. OCT provides cross-sectional images of the retina to detect the presence of drusen deposits or fluid-filled areas characteristic of macular degeneration. Fluorescein angiography involves the injection of a dye into your arm and taking images as the dye passes through the blood vessels in your retina.
Staging System for Macular Degeneration
The severity and progression of macular degeneration is generally divided into three stages: early, intermediate, and late.
- Early Macular Degeneration: Diagnosis at this stage is typically based on medium-sized drusen deposits detected during an eye exam. Most people at this stage have good vision and do not experience any symptoms.
- Intermediate Macular Degeneration: People in this stage may start experiencing some vision loss, but like the early stage, many do not notice any symptoms. Diagnosis is based on large drusen or pigment changes in the retina detected during an eye exam or through a self-test of your vision like the Amsler grid.
- Late Macular Degeneration: At this stage, individuals experience noticeable vision loss.
Macular Degeneration Treatment Options
Our approach to managing macular degeneration involves lifestyle modifications, nutritional supplements, and medical treatments. Injection therapies and laser treatments may be recommended for wet macular degeneration.
Various treatment options for macular degeneration aim to slow down the progression of macular degeneration and preserve your vision, and early intervention typically leads to better outcomes.
- Anti-VEGF Injections: Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) drugs are designed to halt the growth of new blood vessels in the eye, a common characteristic of wet macular degeneration. These medications, including drugs like Lucentis, Eylea, and Avastin, are injected into the eye to block the effects of the body’s growth signals to generate new blood vessels. By preventing new vessel formation, these injections help slow vision loss and improve vision in some cases.
- Photodynamic Therapy: This two-step treatment begins with injecting a light-sensitive drug into the bloodstream. The drug accumulates in the abnormal blood vessels in the eye. A laser is then used to activate the drug, damaging the abnormal blood vessels and leading to a slower rate of vision decline.
- Laser Photocoagulation: This involves using a high-energy laser beam to seal off leaking blood vessels that can contribute to macular degeneration. It helps slow the disease’s progression, but it is used less frequently now due to the potential for collateral damage to the surrounding retina and the effectiveness of anti-VEGF treatments.
Ongoing Monitoring and Progression
Regular follow-up appointments are crucial for managing macular degeneration. We monitor disease progression, assess visual function, and adjust treatment plans as necessary. We are committed to providing comprehensive, long-term care for our patients at Garibaldi Eye Care.
Visit Garibaldi Eye Care in Squamish BC
Macular degeneration can impact your vision, but you can maintain a good quality of life with proper care and management. Garibaldi Eye Care is committed to personalized patient-centric service. If you are experiencing symptoms or seeking a macular degeneration evaluation, please schedule a comprehensive eye examination appointment.
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Myopia is one of the most common vision concerns that people have. If you are experiencing blurry vision, you should get evaluated by a trained eye doctor as quickly as possible. That is where we can help you. Our eye doctors will work with you personally to develop a treatment plan. Give us a call today to make an appointment with a member of our team!
