But the same benefit is not shown from taking omega-3 supplements, such as fish oil pills.For people with intermediate or advanced disease, taking a high-dose formulation of antioxidant vitamins and minerals may help reduce the risk of vision loss, the American Academy of Ophthalmology says. Here's what you need to know.The macula, put simply, controls our sharp, central vision.
Yes, you do need the medication delivered directly into your eye, but the important part to remember is that it can save, and sometimes even improve your vision. (Picture the way paint on a wall or a ceiling sometimes balloons out when water from a leaking roof or pipe pools behind it.
When the macula is damaged by AMD, whether suddenly or gradually, vision can blur, straight lines might appear wavy, and blind spots can develop in the center of one's field of vision. But despite its fearsome reputation, there are plenty of reasons for those diagnosed with the condition to look ahead with optimism.Most patients will not suffer from advanced AMD, which can sometimes result in legal (although not complete) blindness, says Jayanth Sridhar, M.D., an assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine in Florida.
Drusen. Being aware of AMD's earliest symptoms and having regular eye exams may catch the disease in its early stages, allowing treatment in some cases and lifestyle modification in others. Caucasians and people who are overweight, smoke cigarettes, are more than 50 years old, or have high blood pressure are at increased risk, as are those with a family history of the disease. There are 3 stages of macular degeneration: early AMD, intermediate AMD, and advanced AMD. Drusen is basically a form of debris that accumulates either because the cells are sick, or because a patient's ability to clear the debris is failing, says Dr. Mettu. Both smoking and being exposed to smoke can increase the risk of macular degeneration. And with timely treatment, he says, "the majority of AMD patients maintain functional vision. In some instances, you may partially recover vision as the blood vessels shrink and the fluid under the retina absorbs, allowing retinal cells to regain some function.Possible risks of eye injections include conjunctival hemorrhage, eye pain, floaters, increased eye pressure, infection and eye inflammation. (A very small percentage of patients develops wet AMD independently of the dry form. Targeted eye injections of a medication known as anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) can block the growth of the abnormal vessels that have been "sneaking up" beneath the retina.
But the only way to ensure that you retain as much of your vision as possible, for as long as you can, is to visit your eye doctor early, and often.Benedict Cosgrove has been a writer and editor since the mid-1990s, working on sites ranging from Wired's Netizen to the National Magazine Award-winning LIFE.com. He has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Review of Books, Columbia Journalism Review, Daily Beast, CNN.com, and others; edited https://www.healthcentral.com/article/stages-macular-degeneration According to the Mayo Clinic, "no one knows exactly what causes dry macular degeneration" but research suggests that both heredity and environmental factors play a part.
"At the earliest stage, about half of patients are asymptomatic—they don't really have a lot of vision problems," he adds.The other half of early AMD patients, however, often have significant trouble seeing in low light, says Dr. Mettu: "What that means is that trying to read a menu in a dimly lit restaurant, for instance, can be a real challenge. The appearance of drusen — yellow deposits — in the retina indicates the development of early-stage dry macular degeneration (left). A person with a few hard drusen has significantly less chance of losing some of her central vision from AMD in a five-year timeframe than a person with numerous, larger soft drusen.Ultimately, while patients with intermediate dry AMD might not experience significant vision loss or dramatic symptoms, they are nevertheless at increased risk of developing the advanced stage of dry AMD, or developing wet AMD, both of which are legitimately serious conditions.The advanced stage of dry AMD is also known as "geographic atrophy," in which the fovea is compromised. Everyone’s AMD journey is different.
This may require early detection of AMD by screening. Ask your doctor if taking supplements is right for you.Vision loss from macular degeneration can affect your ability to do things such as read, recognize faces and drive.