Chesapeake Retina Centers
3460 Old Washington Road
302
Waldorf, MD 20602
(301) 893-3484
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Management Of Macular Degeneration
If you're a baby boomer, chances are you know someone with macular degeneration. Maybe you yourself have been diagnosed with it. Macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness in older Americans.
Macular degeneration is aging deterioration of the part of the eye responsible for the center vision. This results in loss of focus; making it difficult to read, see faces, and drive.
There are two forms, dry and wet. The dry form is milder and usually causes little vision loss. The wet form is worse and can cause severe vision loss.
Dry Macular Degeneration
The only scientifically proven therapy for dry macular degeneration is a vitamin supplement called the AREDS formula. This supplement and its updated formula, AREDS 2, slow down the progress of dry macular degeneration. The AREDS and AREDS 2 supplements are available without prescription at your drug store.
Healthy lifestyle choices (avoiding smoking, maintaining normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels, exercising, eating a diet rich in green leafy vegetables and fish and decreasing UV exposure with sunglasses may also slow progression. Several experimental drugs to treat dry macular degeneration are in clinical trials and may prove to be useful in the future.
Wet Macular Degeneration
The main treatment for wet macular degeneration is a class of drugs called anti-VEGF agents, which are injected into the eye. These medications don't just prevent further vision loss but actually improve vision in some patients. Laser treatments including a variation called photodynamic therapy are less frequently used. The healthy lifestyle choices mentioned above may also be helpful.
There is much research into wet macular degeneration treatments. One of the most promising is a drug called brolucizumab. Chesapeake Retina Centers is involved in the HAWK study evaluating its effectiveness in treating wet macular degeneration. Results will be released next year.
Two other exciting experimental treatments are stem-cells and computer chip implants, both of which are placed in the eye to replace the part damaged by wet macular degeneration. Much work remains to be done before these therapies will be good enough for everyday use.
Lastly, patients who have lost a lot of vision can benefit from low-vision aids such as magnifiers and telescopes.
In summary, macular degeneration is a widespread serious vision problem. Treatments are more effective than ever, and one should anticipate new therapies with better vision outcomes in the future.
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