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Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) refers to an eye disease that can make your central vision blurry. You can develop it as you age due to damage to the macula.
The macula forms part of the retina where light-sensitive tissue lies. It's responsible for sharp, central vision. Macular damage is the leading cause of vision loss in older adults.
While AMD may not result in complete blindness, you can lose your central vision. Partial loss of this field of vision could make it more challenging to distinguish faces, read, drive, or do close-up work like cooking or fixing items around the house.
The severity of AMD can vary from one person to the next. This means that it can develop slowly or quickly. If you experience early AMD, you may not even be aware you have a vision problem for a long time.
Because of this, you should undergo regular eye exams. With early detection, you may be able to prevent or mitigate further macular damage.
There are two types of macular degeneration:
If you believe you have AMD, you should visit your local eye clinic and speak with an eye doctor. You'll undergo a comprehensive eye examination, including various tests, to rule out or diagnose the condition.
Different testing approaches include:
The Amsler grid test is one of the many standard tools used to perform a diagnosis. The grid consists of a single square composed of a grid pattern and a black dot in the middle. The test helps identify problem spots in your field of vision.
You can perform the test at home or in your local eye clinic.
If you want to use the Amsler grid test correctly, follow these steps once a day, every day:
A person with macular degeneration won't see the Amsler grid/chart the same way as someone without eye health issues. If you have AMD, the grid could appear to have wavy lines or blank sports.
If this occurs, it is important to speak with an eye doctor immediately. Early diagnosis could help your eye doctor establish a treatment regimen and prevent further damage.
Current best practices will promote the use of an Amsler grid chart to test macular degeneration. However, according to a study, the sensitivity of Amsler Grids can be less than 50%.3
This means that some individuals with macular degeneration may not believe they have the condition when, in reality, they do.
Despite this, the Amsler grid chart is still useful. It's economical and can be performed at home daily. Until another adequate replacement comes about, using amsler grids combined with knowledge of risk factors and clinical history can help with early detection.
If you believe you have AMD, you should visit your eye doctor. You can undergo other tests to help establish a proper diagnosis and start treatment, if necessary.
AMD is a complex disease. Researchers and doctors still don't know its exact cause. Some believe that genetic components and environmental factors play a role in your susceptibility to macular damage.
Here are some risk factors:
If you have macular degeneration, your symptoms may vary according to the disease stage. For example, dry AMD has three stages: early, intermediate, and late. Because it's progressive, symptoms tend to get worse as time passes.
Here is the progression of AMD:
Macular degeneration takes the lead in the main causes of vision loss, affecting more than 10 million Americans.
Macular degeneration can't be cured. It's a progressive disease. However, early detection can reduce symptom severity and slow disease progression.
Disease type and stage will determine the kind of treatment you will receive. In general, though, your healthcare provider may consider the following therapeutic approaches:
Clinical trials found that combining vitamin and mineral intake could slow the progression of dry AMD.2 AREDS supplements are vitamins C and E, lutein, zinc, copper, zeaxanthin, and beta carotene (this is not recommendable for smokers due to an increased risk of lung cancer).
This is a treatment for wet AMD that includes blocking VEGF production, a protein that contributes to the creation of blood vessels. Your eye doctor will inject anti-VEGF into a numbed eye to delay or stop blood vessel development. Vision could improve as a result.
A healthcare professional will use both an injectable light-sensitive drug and laser treatment to eliminate extra blood vessels in the eye. You may undergo a combination treatment with anti-VEGF.
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