Macular Degeneration: Quietly Robbing Vision

By Author: John Tang
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Macular degeneration is an age-related condition predominately found in elderly adults and often is not discovered until excessive vision lost occurred.

The center (the macula) of the inner lining of the eye (the retina) begins to suffer thinning, atrophy, and sometimes bleeding. The result can lead to central vision loss and is the leading cause of impaired low vision in the United States.

There are two types of macular degeneration

Dry- The most common form and involves the gradual breakdown of cells in the macular. Multiple small round yellow-white spots form on the back of the eye. They become visible when a person reaches about 30 years old or older. Most people with macular degeneration begin with the dry form.
Wet- West macular degeneration affects only about 15% of the people who have aged-related macular degeneration but accounts for higher level of those who have significant vision loss. In the wet form, newly created abnormal blood vessels grow under the center of the retina. These blood vessels leak, bleed and scar the retina. Vision distortion and loss usually starts in one ...
... eye and may affect the other eye later. Vision loss in the wet eye form is much more rapid and noticeable.

Symptoms:

The symptoms of macular degeneration can be different for different people and may affect just one eye or both. General; the person loses center vision but not peripheral vision or side vision is generally not affected. For this reason , macular degeneration alone does not result in total blindness. However it can make reading or close work difficult or impossible.

Other symptoms may include;

Blurred vision - A gradual loss or blurring of central vision

Central scotomas - Shadows or missing areas of vision.

Distorted Vision- A grid of straight lines appears wavy and parts of the grid maybe blank. Some patients notice this when looking at mini-blinds in their home.

Trouble discerning colors: Difficulty distinguishing between various shades of the same color.

Slower than normal recovery of vision after exposure to bright light.

If only one is affected, macular degeneration is hardly noticeable in the beginning stages. In many cases the condition involves one eye at a time, so it may be some time before a patient notices visual problems. Regular eye exams will often detect problems before the patient is aware that they suffer from macular degeneration.

Diagnosis and Testing

Many patients do not realize they have macular problem until they begin experiencing blurred vision.
An ophthalmologist can detect early stages of macular degeneration with various test during a regular eye exam.
These tests may include:

Viewing the eye with an ophthalmoscope to see if damage is present.
A grid test, having the patient view a grid printed on paper to check the extent of vision loss. Many people get the same effect by looking at mini-blinds, if affected part of the blinds will be missing or the lines will be distorted and wavy.
A color vision test will determine if a patient can tell the difference between colors. Usually this involves variations of the same color only in different hues and affects both light and dark colors.
Florescent angiogram maybe done. A dye is used to take photos of the retina and
macular. The dye brings out any blood vessel abnormalities that might be
present.

Macular degeneration can be detected and diagnosed early by an ophthalmologist if periodic eye examinations are part of your health care. Early detection is important, since people may not realize their vision is impaired. Having your eyes checked is especially appropriate if other family members have a history of retinal problems. For patients with macular degeneration, early diagnosis by an ophthalmologist may prevent further damage or aid the individual in making a visual adjustment with low vision aids.

Treatment

Some patients may benefit from prescribed low vision aids.
In some patients, early detection can prevent severe vision loss with argon laser treatment. Laser therapy is increasingly used for more patients with the severe, leaky form of age-related macular generation. This relatively low-energy laser heats rather than vaporizes tissues, acting essentially like a welder. The green beams of the argon laser are only absorbed by red objects, so it selectively heats up and seals blood vessels (because they contain red blood cells) and leaves most other parts of the eye undisturbed. The narrowness of the beam enhances laser precision, allowing the ophthalmologist to target only diseased blood vessels.
This type of surgery generally takes only a few minutes and may be done with the aid of a local anesthetic to prevent discomfort. Soon afterwards, the patient is able to return home and resume normal daily activities.
Oral vitamins and minerals, particularly zinc, have been advocated for the prevention and treatment of age-related macular degeneration, but their effectiveness has not been proven.
For more click on Macular Degeneration: Quietly robbing vision. At Austin County Eye Associates our focus is on you and the best options for your eye vision care.