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Bajaj Eye Centre, 206 New Sukhdev Nagar, Panipat
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Age Related Macular Degeneration

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Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
Best Eye Hospital in Panipat
Best Eye Hospital in Panipat

Age Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is a condition which may result in blurred vision in the centre of the visual field. 

Distorted vision in the form of metamorphopsia may occur, in which a grid of straight lines appears wavy and parts of the grid may appear blank. There may also be central scotomas, shadows or missing areas of vision.

Macular degeneration typically occurs in older people. Genetic factors and smoking also play a role. It is due to damage to the macula. Diagnosis is by a complete eye exam.

It is of 2 types Dry and Wet with the dry form making up 90% of cases.

 

Dry AMD (also called nonexudative AMD) is a broad designation, encompassing all forms of AMD that are not neovascular (wet AMD). Dry AMD patients tend to have minimal symptoms in the earlier stages; visual function loss occurs more often if the condition advances to geographic atrophy. In 10–20% of people, dry AMD progresses to the wet type.

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Neovascular or exudative AMD, the “wet” form of advanced AMD, causes vision loss due to abnormal blood vessel growth (choroidal neovascularization) The proliferation of abnormal blood vessels in the retina is stimulated by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Because these blood vessels are abnormal, these are also more fragile than typical blood vessels, which ultimately leads to blood and protein leakage below the macula. Bleeding, leaking, and scarring from these blood vessels eventually cause irreversible damage to the photoreceptors and rapid vision loss if left untreated.

Preventive efforts include exercising, eating well, and not smoking. There is no cure or treatment that returns vision already lost. In the wet form, anti-VEGF drugs are injected into the eye or less commonly laser coagulation or photodynamic therapy may slow worsening.  Supplements may slow the progression in those who already have the disease