What You Need to Know. Your Eyesight and Macular Degeneration.

What You Need to Know!
About Your Eyesight and Macular Degeneration
What is a leading cause of vision loss among Americans aged 60 and older?
Answer: Age-related Macular Degeneration or AMD.
Learn More Now!
So…
– So What is it?
– What are the Symptoms?
– How is it treated and diagnosed?
Let’s Take A Closer Look.
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“The condition is expected to become more prevalent as the population ages, with projections indicating that the number of people with AMD in the U.S. could more than double between 2010 and 2050. “
Today we’ll answer these important questions about What You Need To Know:
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- What Is Macular Degeneration?
- What Are the Symptoms?
- How Is It Diagnosed?
- What Are The Types of AMD and The Treatments?
- What Are The Risks and Complications?
- A Positive Outlook!
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What Is Macular Degeneration?
Macular Degeneration is typically an age-related retinal condition that affects your central, or “straight-ahead”, vision. It can develop in one eye, or both, and each eye can have a different level of degeneration.
It happens when the macula (part of the eye that helps with clear vision) starts to wear out – it’s common as we age but can also occur in younger adults as well.
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- Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD): Primarily occurs due to aging.
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- Other causes for Macular Degeneration: Genetic predisposition or from other causes like diabetes, injuries, infections, high blood pressure, smoking or poor nutrition.
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Approximately 5.97% of the U.S. population is affected Age-related Macular Degeneration.
“According to a 2022 study published in JAMA Ophthalmology, an estimated 19.83 million Americans were living with some form of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) in 2019. “
(Released 2022, estimates based on 2019 population estimates.)
What Are the Symptoms?
Many people don’t notice any symptoms until AMD worsens, so regular eye checkups are key!
The macula helps your brain process what you see – if it’s damaged, your vision can change because your brain can longer ‘understand’ what you are seeing.
Early detection is key and can slow it down!
Call your eye doctor right away if you notice these signs:
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- Sudden changes in your vision.
- Pain or pressure behind your eyes.
- New floaters or flashes of light.
- Difficulty seeing in dim light.
- Blurry or distorted vision (like straight lines that now look wavy to you).
- Trouble recognizing colors or seeing blank spots.
- Dark spots or “blank” areas in your central vision.
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How Macular Degeneration Affects Your Vision – 3D animation.
Video: How AMD Affects Your Vision
How Is It Diagnosed?
Your eye doctor looks for Macular Degeneration during regular, routine eye exams and tests.
There is no cure, so early detection is important because there are rarely any symptoms in the beginning stages of AMD.
Ways to test for Macular Degeneration:
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- Amsler grid test: You’ll look at a grid to see if the lines appear wavy or broken.
- Dilated eye exam: Eye drops dilate your pupils so the doctor can see the back of your eye clearly.
- Special imaging tests (like OCT or OCTA): These imaging machines take detailed pictures of the back of the eye including the macula & retina.
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What Are The Types of AMD and The Treatments?
- There are two (2) types of Macular Degeneration:
– Dry Macular Degeneration has three (3) stages.
Many times, symptoms like vision loss aren’t evident until the late stage. Regular eye exams are important so your eye care provider can see the signs during an exam.
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- Early:Your macula changes, but vision isn’t affected.
- Intermediate:Vision may get blurry or wavy, small dark spots, trouble seeing in low light.
- Late (advanced):Central vision fails completely.
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– Wet Macular degeneration is already considered an Advanced Stage of the disease.
It develops under your retina and macula when abnormal vessels grow and ooze blood and fluids.
Symptoms can include:
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- Larger area of blurriness in center of vision
- More trouble in low-light conditions
- Distortion in your vision, such as straight lines appearing wavy or curved
- Large dark or blank areas in your central vision (also known as blind spots)
- Colors appear darker or more faded
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- Treatment will depend on the type of AMD:
When AMD is caught early enough, treatments can help slow down the disease progression.*
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- Dry AMD: About 90% of those with AMD have the dry form which tends to happen gradually. Nutritional supplements and antioxidants have shown promise and your doctor may suggest C, E, zinc, lutein, and zeaxanthin that may help.
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- Wet AMD: Wet AMD is an already advanced stage of the disease and there are a variety of treatments
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that may or may not have complications associated with them.
– Injections: There are a variety of different drugs that can reduce abnormal blood vessel growth in your eye and have the potential to improve vision.
– Laser treatments: Rarely used now but can stop leaking blood vessels.
– Combination therapy: Sometimes doctors use lasers and injections together.
– Nutritional supplements: Like those mentioned above.
*Remember to ask your doctor about possible side effects of the treatments listed above.
* See More Information on the differences between Wet & Dry Macular Degeneration:
What Are The Risks and Complications?
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- Losing your central vision can make daily tasks harder – things like reading, cooking, and recognizing faces become difficult.
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- Remember, there are tools you can use to help you adapt, like a magnifying device or using brighter lights.
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- Severe AMD can lead to legal blindness, so getting support early is vital.
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A Positive Outlook!
AMD does not always lead to significant vision loss AND you can still live a full life with AMD!
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- With Dry AMD, vision loss can happen slowly and take a long time to occur. And, the condition can affect just one of your eyes, so you may not notice any change in vision!
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- Using glasses, brighter lighting, and vision aids can make things easier. Your eye doctor recommend treatments and support to help you stay independent.
- There are preventive steps you can take that may help to protect your eyes as you age: Stop smoking, Eat a healthy diet, Stay active, Manage your weight, & Keep blood pressure and Cholesterol under control.
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If you’re worried or have questions about Macular Degeneration and your eyesight, your doctor is there to help you and make recommendations.
** The information in this Blog is for educational purposes and
cannot replace a recommendation from your healthcare professional.*
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For more information on Senior Health check out the following articles:
The Dangers of Poor Dental Care for Seniors
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Physical Therapy for Older Adults – Why You Need It.
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