AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION (ARMD)
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a deterioration or breakdown of the eye’s macula. The macula is a small area in the retina that is responsible for your central vision, allowing you to see fine details clearly. Many people develop macular degeneration as part of the body’s natural aging process.
With AMD, you may experience symptoms that include blurriness, dark areas, or distortion in your central vision, and, as it progresses, perhaps permanent loss of your central vision. It usually does not affect your side or peripheral vision. For example, with advanced macular degeneration, you could see the outline of a clock, yet may not be able to see the hands of the clock to tell what time it is.
Many people are not aware that they have macular degeneration until they have a noticeable vision problem or until it is detected during an eye examination. There are two types of macular degeneration: Wet and Dry Macular Degeneration.
Most people who have macular degeneration have the dry form. This condition is caused by aging and thinning of the tissues of the macula. With dry macular degeneration, vision loss is usually gradual. People who develop dry macular degeneration must carefully and continually monitor their central vision. If you notice any changes in your vision, you should tell Dr. Massengale right away as the dry form can change into the more damaging form of macular degeneration called wet macular degeneration. If you’ve been diagnosed with dry AMD, it is important that you use an Amsler grid each day to monitor your vision and contact our office right away if you notice any changes.
Dry ARMD
Dry ARMD results from the thinning of macular tissues, a loss of photoreceptor protecting pigment in the macula, or a combination of the two processes. Dry macular degeneration is diagnosed when yellowish spots known as drusen begin to accumulate in and around the macula. It is believed these spots are deposits or debris from deteriorating tissue. Gradual central vision loss may occur with dry macular degeneration but usually is not nearly as severe as wet AMD symptoms. Dry ARMD, slowly and over a period of years, can progress to late-stage geographic atrophy (GA) — gradual degradation of retinal cells that also can cause severe vision loss.
WET MACULAR DEGENERATION:
In about 10 percent of cases, dry ARMD progresses to the more advanced and damaging form of the eye disease. With Wet macular degeneration, new blood vessels grow beneath the retina and leak blood and fluid. This leakage causes permanent damage to light-sensitive retinal cells, which die off and create blind spots in central vision.
Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) formation, is the body's misguided way of attempting to create a new network of blood vessels to supply more nutrients and oxygen to the eye's retina. Instead, the process creates scarring, leading to sometimes sudden and severe central vision loss and blindness.
Wet macular degeneration falls into two categories:
Occult. New blood vessel growth beneath the retina is not as pronounced, and leakage is less evident in the occult CNV form of wet macular degeneration, which typically produces less severe vision loss.
Classic. When blood vessel growth and scarring have very clear, delineated outlines observed beneath the retina, this type of wet ARMD is known as classic CNV, usually producing more severe vision loss.
Wet ARMD
About 10 percent of people who have macular degeneration develop the wet form, which can cause more damage to your central or detailed vision than the dry form. Wet macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels begin to grow underneath the retina. These new blood vessels may leak fluid or blood, blurring or distorting central vision. Vision loss from this form of macular degeneration may be faster and more noticeable than that from dry macular degeneration. The earlier that wet macular degeneration is diagnosed and treated, the better chance you have of preserving some or much of your central vision.