Macular Degeneration Explanation and Treatment

After a patient has been diagnosed with macular degeneration, his or her first response might be panic at the thought of diminishing visual acuity. It is comforting to learn that several treatment options are available, depending on whether the macular degeneration is wet or dry, and research is ongoing in an attempt to find even better ones. While it is almost impossible to undo the damages that this disease has inflicted on the eyes, early detection may afford the patient the opportunity to avoid further loss of sight.

There are two types of Macular Degeneration

Dry Macular Degeneration

Dry macular degeneration, at this time, cannot be reversed by any current treatment methods. While the patient may notice a loss of visual acuity, this disease is so slow in its development from the onset that patients can often cope with its effects without serious difficulty. If their vision remains clear enough for daily activities, many live with dry macular degeneration without treatment for a long time. Some studies suggest that dry macular degeneration may respond favorably to vitamins E, A, and C, and this condition may also be slowed by additional quantities of copper and zinc. Patients should certainly question their physicians about this possibility. Ongoing research may soon uncover other methods of decreasing the damage done by macular degeneration.

The National Eye Institute tested the effect of several vitamins and minerals on eye health, and macular degeneration in particular. The results showed that a certain special combination of vitamins and minerals could delay the progression of vision loss from dry macular degeneration in up to twenty-five percent of the affected patients. A subsequent study is being done at this time to determine if lutein & zeaxanthin (not commercially available at the time of the initial study) or the omega-3 fatty acids can have a positive effect in decreasing damage inflicted by this disease.

Wet Macular Degeneration

The damage caused by wet macular degeneration may be even more difficult to treat than that caused by the dry version. Wet macular degeneration occurs when blood vessels within the eye multiply rapidly. They injure the macula and block the retina, causing a loss of central vision.

Treatment options for Macular Degeneration

Anti-angiogenic Therapy (injectable drug method)

An injection into the damaged area of the eye may be the only viable treatment for wet macular degeneration, but the success of this treatment depends on the area that is affected. After the eye is deadened, an injection of Lucentis, or ranibizumab, is placed in the damaged eye to control the troublesome blood vessels. Patients must have these injections every four to six weeks to decrease the risk of weakening vision. This treatment is less drastic than the use of a laser, and most patients only experience redness and itching of the eyeball after this procedure.

Heat Laser Therapy

Another procedure which doctors sometimes use to treat wet macular degeneration is a heat laser, which seals off many of the offending blood vessels. This treatment must be done before the blood vessels move into the fovea, or central portion of vision. Very few people are candidates for laser treatment because their eye disease has already affected the fovea. A physician may recommend the procedure based on an assessment of the health of the affected structures and the amount of blood leakage involved. Patients should be warned, however, that it is possible for the laser to damage normal eye tissues as well.

Photodynamic Therapy

Some patients suffering wet macular degeneration respond well to treatment with Visudyne, or verteporfin. This drug is injected directly into the bloodstream and is used in connection with a cold laser light focused on the macula. The light triggers the drug which then seals off the blood vessels causing the vision problem. This does not cause harm to the macula and this type of photodynamic therapy is sometimes used in combination with other treatment methods.

Doctors use several criteria to determine if this is a suitable method of treatment for individual patients. The macula and fovea are centrally located within the eyeball, and necessary for sharp, clear vision. If the offending blood vessels are behind the fovea, doctors may hesitate to use a hot energy laser through fear of burning the fovea, which would cause a patient to lose vision in the center of the eye. The better option in such cases might be photodynamic treatment.

Submacular Hemorrhage Displacement Surgery

In a final attempt to correct damage done by macular degeneration, some doctors are performing surgery. If the tissue of the eye has not been severely damaged because of early detection, surgeons may perform a vitrectomy in order to remove leaking blood that is clouding the vision. Anti-clotting injections may also be needed, but once the effects of the hemorrhage have been effectively cleared, the problematic vessels can be treated as well.