| What is ARMD? | | | | form underneath the retina at the back of the |
| The macula provides the sharp, central vision we | | | | eye leak fluid or blood and blur central vision. |
| need for reading, driving, and seeing fine detail. | | | | Vision loss may be rapid and severe. |
| Macular degeneration refers to the breakdown of | | | | Macular degeneration cannot be reversed. Its |
| the macula. | | | | impact, however, can be reduced. |
| What You Need To Do: | | | | Laser surgery and medications can be used to |
| Get regular eye checkups from an | | | | treat certain types of macular degeneration. |
| ophthalmologist, especially after the age of 50. | | | | Certain types of "wet" macular degeneration can |
| You can detect early stages of macular | | | | be treated witho Laser Treatment - High intensity |
| degeneration by using a simple vision test using a | | | | laser was the only option in the past and often |
| chart called the Amsler grid. | | | | left a blind spot in the treatment zone. This was |
| If you are more than 50 years old, If you see | | | | called laser photocoagulationo PDT (photodynamic |
| wavy, broken, distorted linesplease look at this | | | | therapy) - Non-thermal laser was used at the |
| with each eye separately. You may have | | | | macula to activate a dye injected in the body |
| symptoms of ARMD. | | | | which seals the leaking abnormal blood vessels.o |
| Why Is It Important: | | | | Injections - They target a specific chemical in |
| Macular degeneration can cause sudden, severe | | | | your body that is critical in causing abnormal blood |
| and often irreversible loss of vision in the middle | | | | vessels to grow under the retina. That chemical is |
| of your visual field | | | | called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). |
| Symptomso Reduction vision in the central part of | | | | Anti-VEGF drugs block the trouble-causing VEGF, |
| the retina causing difficulty in reading or | | | | reducing the growth of abnormal blood vessels |
| recognizing peoples faceso It usually does not | | | | and slowing their leakage. The recent |
| affect the eye's side, or peripheral, vision.o If you | | | | development of anti-VEGF medications have |
| notice words looking blurry on a page, a dark or | | | | become an exciting advance in the treatment of |
| empty area in the center of your vision, or | | | | wet AMD. Bevacizumab (Avastin) and ranibizumab |
| crookedness of straight lines, you may have | | | | (Lucentis) are two very useful drugs. Most |
| symptoms of macular degeneration. | | | | patients will retain the vision they have and some |
| Types | | | | will regain some of the lost vision after these |
| The two types of AMD are "dry" (atrophic) and | | | | treatments. |
| "wet" (exudative): | | | | These procedures may preserve more sight |
| "Dry" Macular Degeneration (atrophic) | | | | overall, though they are not cures that restore |
| Most people have the "dry" form of AMD. It is | | | | vision to normal. Despite advanced medical |
| caused by aging and thinning of the tissues of the | | | | treatment, most people with macular |
| macula. Vision loss is usually gradual. | | | | degeneration still experience some vision loss. |
| "Wet" Macular Degeneration (exudative) | | | | Many older people develop macular degeneration |
| The "wet" form of macular degeneration accounts | | | | as part of the body's natural aging process. |
| for about 10% of all AMD cases. | | | | Exactly why it develops is not known, and no |
| Wet ARMD results when abnormal blood vessels | | | | treatment has been uniformly effective. |