Macular Degeneration Specialist

What is macular degeneration?

Macular degeneration is an eye disease that affects your vision. The two kinds of macular degeneration are dry and wet. About 80% of people with macular degeneration have the dry form, which occurs when the macula in your eye gets thinner and tiny protein clumps develop.

With wet macular degeneration, abnormal blood vessels grow underneath your retina and cause macular scarring. Early macular degeneration detection and treatment help prevent further serious vision problems, including blindness.

What are the symptoms of macular degeneration?

While you might not have symptoms of macular degeneration in its early stage, as the disease progresses you’ll notice:

• Blurry central vision
• Seeing blank spots
• Visual distortion
• Straight lines appearing bent
• Difficulty recognizing faces
• Reduced color brightness or intensity
• Problems adapting to new light levels
• A need for brighter lights while reading

Macular degeneration can appear in one or both eyes, but it most often affects both. It rarely causes complete blindness. If you experience one or more symptoms of macular degeneration, see the specialists at Retina Consultants Ltd. right away for an evaluation.

What are the risk factors for macular degeneration?

Macular degeneration can happen to anybody, but you’re more likely to develop it if you:

• Are over 50
• Have a family history of macular degeneration
• Are overweight
• Smoke cigarettes
• Have high blood pressure
• Have high cholesterol
• Eat a diet high in saturated fat
• Have heart disease
• Are white

If you have one or more macular degeneration risk factors, it’s important to undergo routine eye exams, even if you don’t experience symptoms of an eye disease.

To lower your risk of developing macular degeneration, maintain a healthy weight, avoid smoking, exercise regularly, eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and include omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.

How is macular degeneration diagnosed?

To diagnose macular degeneration, your Retina Consultants Ltd. team reviews your medical and vision history and completes a comprehensive eye exam. They examine the back of your eyes during a dilated eye exam and test for abnormalities in central vision. Your provider might complete noninvasive imaging tests or additional diagnostic procedures if needed.

How is macular degeneration treated?

Your personalized macular degeneration treatment plan is based on the severity of your disease and vision problems. Your retina specialist can recommend:

Lifestyle changes

To slow or stop the progression of macular degeneration, your provider might suggest eating a healthy diet, taking vitamin supplements, not smoking, and managing high blood pressure or other chronic conditions.

Vision rehabilitation

Working with a vision rehabilitation specialist can help your eyes adapt to changes in central vision.

Injections

If you have wet macular degeneration, your provider might recommend eye injections to delay or stop vision loss.

Laser treatment

Noninvasive laser treatment, or photodynamic therapy (PDT), might be an option if you have wet macular degeneration.

Lens implants

If you have advanced macular degeneration, your retina specialist might recommend surgery to implant an artificial lens in one eye to improve far and near vision.

Don’t let macular degeneration progress to severe vision loss. Schedule routine eye exams at Retina Consultants Ltd. over the phone or online today.