Macular Degeneration Therapy in Chicago / Des Plaines, Illinois
Dry or Neovascular?
Generally, there are two forms of macular degeneration. The first, known as dry, is a milder, more common form of the disease. Ninety percent of those who have macular degeneration have this dry kind and will not experience any great changes in their vision.
The ten percent who do not have the dry have a kind known as neovascular. This type is characterized by a leakage of fluid behind the retina. In some cases, bleeding and the traction of a blood clot in the vitreous body may pull the retina into the vitreous cavity. This is known as retinal detachment and if it is not diagnosed and treated very early, blindness will result.
Symptoms
Those with dry macular degeneration will not experience a tremendous change in vision. There may be some blurriness or difficulty in reading but this should not interfere with everyday tasks.
Those with neovascular macular degeneration may experience more obvious symptoms. For example, a straight line may appear distorted, wavy or crooked. In addition, those with the neovascular kind may experience a blind spot in their central field of vision.
Treatment
Exciting new advances in laser therapy have made treatment possible for people with neovascular macular degeneration.
The laser therapy for neovascular macular degeneration works in a very similar fashion to laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy. The laser beam is directed to the retina of the eye. This beam, which is actually energy, seals the abnormal blood vessels to stop bleeding.
While laser therapy is exciting, it is only effective when the disease is diagnosed in its early stages. When the disease is not diagnosed early enough, the macula suffers irreparable damage.
There is no treatment presently for the dry form of macular degeneration.
Vision Aids
For those who have experience some loss of vision, low vision aids may be of some help. Often, those with any visual loss due to dry macular degeneration can manage quite well with glasses or bifocals and bright lighting. Those with neovascular macular degeneration may require stronger visual aids such as a magnifying glass with a light attached or a telescopic lens added onto a pair of glasses.
Prevention
It is virtually impossible to prevent most eye diseases but in some cases, it is possible to prevent blindness or serious vision impairment caused by these diseases. Successful treatment for macular degeneration and many other eye diseases depends on early detection. It is important to see your ophthalmologist at least once a year.
A final word
Remember, ninety percent of those who develop macular degeneration will have the dry form which does not cause any significant visual problems.