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Eye Problems – Age Related Macular Degeneration

What is Age Related Macular Degeneration?

As the name implies, Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) is an eye disease that is primarily triggered by age. There are two types of ARMD, wet and dry. Either can affect one or both eyes. The dry form is more prevalent, occurring in 90% of the cases. It’s slow to develop and vision loss is gradual, although not necessarily severe. The wet form is much more damaging, causing rapid and severe vision loss.

Even though vision loss is not complete, it is significant enough for an individual to be considered legally blind and for quality of life to be severely affected.

Vision loss is not total because ARMD affects the central vision, not the peripheral vision. When the macula is damaged, a person cannot create a clearly detailed image. Since the macula is in the center of the retina, central vision is affected. The macula is a group of nerve cells that utilize light to create and send images to the retina.

Symptoms of ARMD

Those affected by ARMD will notice a spot in their vision that is clearly indistinguishable. For example, when looking directly at an image of a person, legs and head will be clearly visible, but the body itself, the part right in the center of vision, will appear to be covered with an area that appears either empty or dark. Besides blurred vision, straight lines may seem wavy and a person may not be able to recognize images that should be familiar.

Who is at risk?

Age is a primary risk factor of ARMD, with the majority of the cases developing in individuals aged 60 and over. However, hereditary and the environment can also trigger the onset of the dry form of this eye disease. Females develop ARMD more often than men.

Free radicals cause much of the cell damage that occurs inside the retina therefore cigarette smoking and hypertension increase the risks of developing ARMD. Those who do not eat a nutritionally-balanced diet may also be at risk as they are not providing the body with the antioxidant protection it needs to inhibit the damage caused by free radicals.

Early Detection/Treatment of this eye problem

It’s difficult to detect ARMD. The dry form is slow to develop, and generally develops only in one eye. The unaffected eye compensates for the damaged eye, so symptoms are not readily noticeable.

Yellow deposits called drusen on the retina can usually be observed during an eye exam. The eye chart and dilating the pupils are two methods of detection. When wet ARMD is suspected, the eye doctor will use an Amsler grid or fluorescein angiography.

Unfortunately, no treatment can restore this type of eye damage. Glasses will not help, but vision aids and counseling can help a person adjust to life with a reduced vision loss.

Laser eye surgery treatments and photodynamic therapy have had limited success on wet Age Related Macular Degeneration. Other treatment options such as medication and radiation are still being studied.

Eye Care– Cataracts and Cataract Surgery

More than 60 million individuals around the world have cataracts. Cataracts are the #1 cause of blindness but fortunately, cataracts are highly treatable with cataract surgery.

What is Cataract?

Over time the eye’s lens, which is transparent in a healthy eye, starts to become cloudy or opaque. As individuals age, protein levels in the eye begin to decrease which is why there is no way to effectively prevent cataract from developing. Other factors can cause cataract such as head injury and certain diseases, but their appearance is primarily due to age.

There are 3 different types of cataracts and each type affects a different part of the eye. At the center of the lens is the nucleus and the most common of the cataracts affects this region. Cortical cataract and subcapsular cataract are more common in individuals who have diabetes.

Symptoms of Cataract

Vision that is cloudy or blurred is the most obvious symptom of a cataract. Nearsightedness can increase and images that were once clear can appear distorted when cataract is present. Less noticeable symptoms include the need for more and brighter light when reading, sensitivity to light, trouble seeing at night, double vision and colors that fade or seem ‘yellow’. These symptoms develop because the cloudiness on the lens prevents it from refracting light properly.

Who is at risk?

Everyone is at risk of developing cataract and the likelihood that this type of eye problem will develop increases with each passing year. Simply stated, anyone fortunate to reach old age will likely develop cataract.

Risks increase if there is a family history of cataract. Steroids and some medications can also increase the chances of developing cataract as can eye injury or previous eye surgery. Those with diabetes also have an increased risk.

Early detection/treatment

A routine eye examination is the most effective way of detecting the presence or development of cataract. Because blurred vision can be caused by a number of factors, proper diagnosis is important.

It used to be that a person with cataract in one or both eyes would have to endure painful surgery to remedy the situation. But today, cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure that involves replacing the cloudy lens with an intraocular lens (IOL). The success rate of cataract surgery is extremely high. And surgery is the only option.

Cataract surgery is not recommended until the loss of vision becomes troublesome and impacts quality of life. Cataract generally develops gradually so in many cases, vision in the early stages can be corrected with prescription eyeglasses. An ophthalmologist can determine the stage at which cataract surgery is necessary.

It’s important to note that some people with cataract also have other types of eye problems. For them, cataract surgery may not restore vision. Again, an ophthalmologist can help with this determination.

When cataract surgery is performed, an amazing 95% of the surgeries involve no complications whatsoever. Local anesthesia, tiny instruments and a microscope are generally all that is needed to perform successful cataract surgery.