Everything you should know about macular degeneration

Everything you should know about macular degeneration

A painless and common eye condition among people over the age of 60 years, macular degeneration develops when the central part of the retina, which is called the macula, begins to deteriorate and fails to function properly. The retina contains light-sensitive cells that convert light to electrical impulses via a chemical reaction and send them to the brain. The center of the retina, called the macula, is responsible for straight vision and fine details in the direct line of sight, and macular degeneration causes visual impairment as it leads to blurry vision.

In this article, we will take a look at multiple aspects of macular degeneration to help you understand the condition better.

Types of macular degeneration
Also known as age-related macular degeneration, this condition worsens with age and destroys the sharp central vision that helps one view things clearly in their direct line of sight. This also affects an individual’s ability to carry out everyday tasks like driving and reading. In some cases, the condition progresses slowly and the patient does not notice much change in their vision, while it may advance quickly and cause vision impairment in one or both eyes in other cases. There are two types of this condition:

  • Wet age-related macular degeneration
    Wet macular degeneration leads to the growth of unusual blood vessels from the choroid below the macula and into the macular portion of the retina. These blood vessels often leak fluid and blood into the macula, causing this condition as it restricts retina’s functioning and leads to blurry central vision. In such a case, the loss of vision may be severe and quick, and it might even lead to permanent central vision loss. This is the less common type and only affects about 10 percent of the people with this condition.
  • Dry age-related macular degeneration
    In this type, yellow deposits or drusen develop in the macula. As they grow in size and number, the light-sensitive cells gradually break down, and the poorly-functioning retina leads to impairment of the central vision. This condition usually starts in one eye and then affects the other one. Most people affected by macular degeneration have this type, and it can lead to wet macular degeneration.

Symptoms of macular degeneration
A person will not notice any floaters or eye pain when affected by macular degeneration, and blurry vision is the primary sign of the condition, especially if the blurriness goes away in settings with brighter light. The condition does not result in complete blindness as the peripheral vision remains unaffected, but blurry vision affects the quality of life as it leads to an inability to carry out tasks like reading or recognizing faces. Some of the other symptoms are decreased brightness of colors, decreased night vision, and inability to make out fine details in central vision.

Symptoms of dry macular degeneration show up gradually and are painless, while a patient affected by wet macular degeneration experiences a sudden onset of symptoms that aggravate quickly.

Causes and risk factors of this condition
Although the exact cause of this condition is not known, age is the leading probable cause of dry macular degeneration as macular cells break down over time. People over the age of 60 experience severe vision impairment due to this condition. A combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors also increases the risk of dry macular degeneration, which eventually leads to wet macular degeneration.

Other factors that increase an individual’s risk of developing the condition are harmful habits like smoking, following a poor diet that does not include plenty of vegetables and fruits, and obesity. A family history of the condition adds to one’s risk of developing the condition, and white people face a higher risk of being affected. Underlying medical conditions like heart disease or diseases that affect the blood vessels also increase one’s risk.

Macular degeneration prognosis
An advanced case of this eye condition can cause permanent central vision loss in both the eyes, but the peripheral vision is unaffected. So, patients do not face total vision loss even in severe cases and can use a magnifying glass to help improve near vision while reading.

Complications of macular degeneration
Dry macular degeneration may progress to wet macular degeneration if not treated, causing rapid aggravation of the symptoms and central vision loss. On the other hand, in people with the condition having already caused central vision loss, there’s a high risk of social isolation and depression. It might also cause Charles Bonnet syndrome, which results in visual hallucinations.

Diagnosing macular degeneration
If one notices any of the symptoms of this condition, and especially if they’re above the age of 60 years, it’s best to consult an optometrist or ophthalmologist at the earliest. They can make a detailed diagnosis and distinguish between wet and dry macular degeneration through a comprehensive eye examination for drusen or pigment clumping.

The macula is examined with magnifying and illuminating devices, and they may even ask the patient to look at a checkerboard pattern of straight lines, also known as an Amsler grid, through one eye. The straight lines of the pattern seem wavy or are missing for a person with macular degeneration. Some other tests used for the diagnosis of this condition are optical coherence optical coherence tomography and angiography.

Preventing macular degeneration
Making certain lifestyle and dietary changes can reduce the risk of developing this eye condition. These include managing underlying medical conditions, following a nutritious diet rich in antioxidants and healthy fats, engaging in moderate exercise to maintain a healthy weight, and avoiding smoking.

Treatment for macular degeneration
The condition cannot be cured, and treatment only helps slow its progression and prevent complete central vision loss. The treatment options include medications to stop the growth of blood vessels to reverse vision loss due to wet macular degeneration. Laser therapy or photodynamic laser therapy is also used to destroy or damage the abnormal blood vessels, respectively.

Apart from these treatment methods, low-vision aids magnify nearby objects, helping improve macular vision.