Macular Degeneration

Macular Degeneration occurs when the central area of the retina, called the Macular is damaged most commonly due to age. The disease causes progressive, painless loss of central vision, affecting the ability to see fine detail, drive, read and recognise faces. Although there is no cure, there are treatment options that can slow down the disease progression, depending on the stage and type of the disease (wet or dry). The earlier the disease is detected, the more vision the patient is likely to retain.

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Treatments

DRY AMD

Treatment options, especially for early and dry Macular Degeneration, include not smoking and maintaining a healthy diet.

WET AMD

Unfortunately, there is no cure for AMD. The aim of treatment is to prevent the condition from getting worse. The earlier the disease is detected, the more vision the patient is likely to retain. Treatments include:

Anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) drugs – to reduce leakage and bleeding from new blood vessels in the macula
Photodynamic therapy – uses a light-sensitive chemical and some gentle laser to destroy abnormal blood vessels
Laser photocoagulation – uses a laser beam close off abnormal blood vessels.