Macular Degeneration – What it is, Symptoms and Treatments
Macular Degeneration- What it is, Symptoms and Treatments. In addition, the macula is the region of the retina where you get the best quality of vision for reading, color and fine details. When the macula loses its function, there is a “blurring” of vision or distortion of objects and letters in the central region, commonly called Macular Degeneration . Although it causes low central vision , it does not affect the peripheral part and therefore does not cause total blindness. Age-related Macular Degeneration usually appears after the age of 55, mainly affecting white people. Then check out Macular Degeneration- What it is, Symptoms and Treatments.
Dry or Atrophic Macular Degeneration: Also called non-exudative, this is the most common type. It occurs between 70 and 80% of cases. It is caused by the natural aging of the retinal tissue, which undergoes a gradual dysfunction causing a reduction in central vision .
Wet Macular Degeneration: Also known as hemorrhagic or exudative, it occurs between 20 and 30% of cases. It is the most aggressive form, and may have a faster and more severe course. It is characterized by the formation of a membrane under the retina , with the appearance of anomalous vessels, which release fluid and blood, distorting the image and blurring the vision .
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The macula is a small area of the retina responsible for seeing details. The involvement of the macula by a degenerative lesion, which appears with age, constitutes the so-called macular degeneration . When the macula is injured, vision becomes blurred and a dark spot covering the center of vision can be seen.
Macular degeneration affects both distance and near vision , making it difficult or preventing important activities such as reading. Although macular degeneration reduces vision in the central part of the visual field , it does not affect side or peripheral vision . Macular degeneration alone does not result in total blindness , as side vision is preserved.
Symptoms: Macular degeneration can be asymptomatic in its early stages. Eventually, only one eye may experience poor vision, while the other eye may maintain good vision for many years. When both eyes are affected, loss of central vision is noticed early. In the early stages, the symptoms of the disease are very discreet and imperceptible. Sometimes, only one eye is affected, and the vision of the other eye can be preserved for a long time.
The most common symptoms are:
- color opacification
- Words in a text become blurred
- Dark or blurry spot in the center of vision
- Straight lines become distorted
Diagnosis: Many people don’t know they have a macular problem until blurred vision becomes evident. The first signs of macular degeneration can be detected during an eye exam that includes a fundus examination , performed during the eye visit, and specialized tests:
Other special tests, such as retinal angiography and indocyanine green angiography, help in diagnosing and fighting the evolution of the disease . Macular degeneration is not yet fully cured, but in some cases, treatment prevents further loss of vision .
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Treatment and Control: Exudative Degeneration can be treated with laser surgery that seals the blood vessels, preventing bleeding , slowing down the progression of the disease . Dry Degeneration can be controlled with the use of special medicines and vitamins, with antioxidant properties , which prevent or delay the progression of the disease . In case of healing of any type of Macular Degeneration , the use of special lenses ( sub-normal vision ) helps to improve vision .