![]() ![]() Patients who lose central vision may be unable to drive, read and perform other tasks that require sharp vision, but they almost always maintain peripheral vision. Still, even with wet macular degeneration, complete vision loss is very unlikely. That’s why the wet form is considered more serious. More severe vision loss is usually due to wet macular degeneration. There is no good treatment available for dry macular degeneration, but specially formulated vitamins can be used to slow its progress in some people. One of the most common early signs of dry AMD is drusen – yellow deposits under the retina often found in people over age 60.ĭry macular degeneration can sometimes lead to significant vision loss, but milder visual symptoms are more likely. You may need more light for reading and other tasks.ĭry AMD generally affects both eyes, but vision can be lost in one eye while the other eye seems unaffected. You may have difficulty recognizing faces. The most common symptom of dry AMD is blurred vision. Over time, as less of the macula functions, central vision is gradually lost in the affected eye. You may see dark spots in your center of vision. Because of fluid buildup, a bulge forms in your macula. Exudative is a term that refers to how the fluids ooze. As dry AMD gets worse, you may see a blurred or gray spot in the center of your vision. Wet (exudative) macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels develop under your retina and macula. Still, this blind spot is often not as bad as the vision damage from the untreated blood vessels.ĭry AMD occurs when the light-sensitive cells in the macula slowly break down, gradually blurring central vision in the affected eye. ![]() Laser treatment then results in a noticeable blind spot. However, it is much more common for the abnormal blood vessels to be large and close to the center of the macula. If the abnormal blood vessels were small, and not too close to the macular center, there may only be a small blind spot that the patient does not even notice. The size and location of this blind spot will vary with where the abnormal blood vessels were. This often results in a small blind spot where the laser has scarred the retina. Even so, laser treatment also may destroy some surrounding healthy tissue. This treatment is more likely to be used when blood vessel growth is limited to a compact area in your eye, away from the center of the macula, which can be easily targeted with the laser. This laser is not the same one used in photodynamic therapy, which may be referred to as a "cold" laser. A "hot" laser is aimed at the abnormal blood vessels in your eyes to destroy them. Eye care professionals treat certain cases of wet AMD with laser surgery, though this is less common than other treatments. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |