Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
What Is Age-Related Macular Degeneration?
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a problem with your retina. It happens when a part of the retina called the macula is damaged. With AMD you lose your central vision. You cannot see fine details, whether you are looking at something close or far. But your peripheral (side) vision will still be normal. For instance, imagine you are looking at a clock with hands. With AMD, you might see the clock’s numbers but not the hands.
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of severe, irreversible vision loss in people over age 60. It occurs when the small central portion of the retina, known as the macula, deteriorates. Because the disease develops as a person ages, it is often referred to as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Although macular degeneration is almost never a totally blinding condition, it can be a source of significant visual disability.
There are two main types of age-related macular degeneration:
- Dry form. This form is quite common. About 80% (8 out of 10) of people who have AMD have the dry form. Dry AMD is when parts of the macula get thinner with age and tiny clumps of protein called drusen grow. You slowly lose central vision. There is no way to treat dry AMD yet. A few small drusen may not cause changes in vision; however, as they grow in size and increase in number, they may lead to a dimming or distortion of vision that people find most noticeable when they read. In more advanced stages of dry macular degeneration, there is also a thinning of the light-sensitive layer of cells in the macula leading to atrophy, or tissue death. In the atrophic form of dry macular degeneration, patients may have blind spots in the centre of their vision. In the advanced stages, patients lose central vision.
- Wet form. This form is less common but much more serious. Wet AMD is when new, abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina. This is called choroidal neovascularization. You lose vision faster with wet AMD than with dry AMD. These blood vessels leak blood and fluid into the retina, causing distortion of vision that makes straight lines look wavy, as well as blind spots and loss of central vision. These abnormal blood vessels and their bleeding eventually form a scar, leading to permanent loss of central vision.
Most patients with macular degeneration have the dry form of the disease and can lose some form of central vision. However, the dry form of macular degeneration can lead to the wet form. Although only about 10% of people with macular degeneration develop the wet form, they make up the majority of those who experience serious vision loss from the disease.
It is very important for people with macular degeneration to monitor their eyesight carefully and see their eye doctor on a regular basis.
What Are The Risk Factors For Macular Degeneration?
As the name suggests, age-related macular degeneration is more common in older adults. In fact, it is the leading cause of severe vision loss in adults over age 60.
You are more likely to develop AMD if you:
- eat a diet high in saturated fat (found in foods like meat, butter, and cheese)
- are overweight
- smoke cigarettes
- are over 50 years old
- have a family history of AMD
- are Caucasian (white)
Having heart disease is another risk factor for AMD, as is having high cholesterol levels.
What Are The Symptoms Of Macular Degeneration?
In its early stages, macular degeneration may not have symptoms and may be unrecognized until it progresses or affects both eyes. The first sign of macular degeneration is usually blurred vision with a dim, blurry spot in the middle of your vision. This spot may get bigger or darker over time.
Symptoms of macular degeneration include:
- Decreased quality/resolution of vision with blurriness and difficulty with reading fine print, driving, etc.
- Dark, blurry areas in the centre of vision
- Diminished or changed colour perception
If you experience any of these symptoms, see an eye specialist as soon as possible.
How Is Macular Degeneration Diagnosed?
Age-related macular degeneration can be detected in a routine eye exam. During an eye exam, your ophthalmologist may ask you to look at an Amsler grid. This grid helps you notice any blurry or blank spots in your field of vision. Your ophthalmologist will also look inside your eye through a special lens. He or she can see if there are changes in the retina and macula. One of the most common early signs of macular degeneration is the presence of drusen — tiny yellow deposits under the retina — or pigment clumping. Your doctor can see these when examining the eyes. Your doctor may also ask you to look at an Amsler grid — a pattern of straight lines that resemble a checkerboard. Some of the straight lines may appear wavy to you, or you may notice that some of the lines are missing. These can be signs of macular degeneration.
If your doctor detects age-related macular degeneration, you may have a procedure called angiography or an OCT. In angiography, a dye is injected into a vein in the arm. Photographs are taken as the dye reaches the eye and flows through the blood vessels of the retina. If there are new vessels or vessels leaking fluid or blood in the macula, the photographs will show their exact location and type. OCT is able to see fluid or blood underneath the retina without using dye.
Early detection of age-related macular degeneration is very important because there are treatments that can delay or reduce the severity of the disease.
What Treatments Are Available For Macular Degeneration?
There is currently no cure for macular degeneration, but treatments may prevent severe vision loss or slow the progression of the disease considerably.
Dry AMD treatment
Right now, there is no way to treat the dry form of AMD. However, people with lots of drusen or serious vision loss might benefit from taking a certain combination of nutritional supplements. A large study found those people may slow their dry AMD by taking these vitamins and minerals daily:
- Vitamin C (500 mg)
- Vitamin E (400 IU)
- Lutein (10 mg)
- Zeaxanthin (2 mg)
- Zinc (80 mg)
- Copper (2 mg)
Your ophthalmologist can tell you if vitamins and minerals are recommended for your dry AMD.
It is important to remember that nutritional supplements are not a cure for AMD, but they may help to slow the disease in some people with early- to mid-stage AMD.
Wet AMD treatment
To help treat wet AMD, there are medications called anti-VEGF drugs. Anti-VEGF treatment helps reduce the number of abnormal blood vessels in your retina. It also slows any leaking from blood vessels. This medicine is delivered to your eye through a very slender needle.
Several options are available, including:
- Anti-angiogenesis drugs (Anti- VEGF): These medications (Aflibercept, Avastin, Eyelea, Lucentis, Macugen) block the development of new blood vessels and leakage from the abnormal vessels within the eye that cause wet macular degeneration. This treatment has been a major change in the treatment of this condition and many patients have actually regained vision that was lost. The treatment may need to be repeated during follow-up visits.
- Laser therapy. High-energy laser light can sometimes be used to destroy actively growing abnormal blood vessels that occur in macular degeneration.
- Photodynamic laser therapy. A two-step treatment in which a light-sensitive drug (Visudyne) is used to damage the abnormal blood vessels. A doctor injects the drug into the bloodstream to be absorbed by the abnormal blood vessels in the eye. The doctor then shines a cold laser into the eye to activate the drug, damaging the abnormal blood vessels.
- Low vision aids. Devices that have special lenses or electronic systems that produce enlarged images of nearby objects. They help people who have vision loss from macular degeneration make the most of their remaining vision.
Researchers are studying new treatments for macular degeneration. The following treatments are considered experimental and have been used less often since the development of anti-angiogenic medications have developed:
- Submacular surgery. Surgery to remove the abnormal blood vessels or blood.
- Retinal translocation. A surgical procedure used to destroy abnormal blood vessels that are located directly under the centre of the macula, where a laser beam cannot be placed safely. In the procedure, the macular centre is rotated away from the abnormal blood vessels to a healthy area of the retina, thus preventing the formation of scar tissue and further damage to the retina. Once moved away from the abnormal blood vessels, a laser is used to treat the abnormal blood vessels.
For possible prevention of macular degeneration:
- Vitamins. A large study performed by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health, called AREDS (Age-Related Eye Disease Study), showed that for certain individuals, vitamins C, E, beta-carotene, zinc and copper can decrease the risk of vision loss in patients with intermediate to advanced dry macular degeneration. However, the ingredients of vision supplements may change with the completion of the AREDS2 study. This study sought to see if adding other vitamins and mineral to the supplement would improve results of the AREDS. The first addition was omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil), and the second was a combination of two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are found in leafy green vegetables and highly coloured fruits and vegetables. The research showed:
- Beta-carotene did not reduce the risk of progression of AMD.
- Adding omega-3 to the AREDS formula did not reduce risk of progression of AMD.
- The AREDS formula was still found to be protective with less zinc added.
- People that took a formula with lutein and zeaxanthin and who may not have been taking enough in their diet showed further improve with the new AREDS formula.
In general, people who took lutein and zeaxanthin instead of beta-carotene had more of a benefit.
Macular Degeneration And Low Vision: Making The Most Of Low Vision
If you have AMD, you can learn how to make the most of your vision. Often you can still do many of your favourite things with special low vision tools. These can include different kinds of magnifying tools, handheld computers, electronic items and more.
Also, you can learn how to use your side vision to help you do things. A vision rehabilitation specialist can teach you how this works. They also can help you find many low vision support services and tools.
Ask your ophthalmologist to help you find a vision rehabilitation specialist in your area. The goal is to learn new ways to be as independent as possible.
Test your vision with the Amsler grid
AMD causes your vision to change over time. You may not notice these changes when they happen. But you need to catch vision changes as soon as possible. Treating them early can help slow or stop further loss of sight. You should use an Amsler grid every day to monitor your vision. One is below for you to use.
Here is how to use the Amsler grid:
- Keep the Amsler grid in a place where you see it every day. Many people keep an Amsler grid on their refrigerator door or on their bathroom mirror.
- In good light, look at the grid from about 12–15 inches away. Be sure to wear your reading glasses if you normally use them.
- Cover one eye. Look directly at the dot in the centre of the grid with your uncovered eye. Notice if any of the lines look bent or wavy. See if any part of the grid looks blurry, dim, or out of shape.
- Now cover your other eye and test your vision this same way again.
Call your ophthalmologist right away if you notice that any lines or parts of the grid look wavy, blurry, or dim.
What Is The Outlook For People With Macular Degeneration?
People rarely lose all of their vision from age-related macular degeneration. They may have poor central vision, but they are still able to perform many normal daily activities.
The wet form of macular degeneration is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss. When both eyes are affected, you may experience a significant decrease in your quality of life.
The dry form of age-related macular degeneration is much more common and tends to progress more slowly, allowing you to keep most of your vision.
Unfortunately, even after wet macular degeneration treatment, the condition can recur and require repeated treatments. Because of this, individuals with macular degeneration must test their own vision regularly and follow the recommendations of their ophthalmologist. Successful and timely treatment will slow the rate of vision loss and often improve vision.