Wet Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is a fairly common eye disorder that affects a part of the retina called the macula. Your macula slowly deteriorates and this causes visual disturbances like burry vision and blind spots. Wet macular degeneration accounts for about ten percent of cases and the rest are classified as dry. Nearly everyone with this eye condition starts out with the dry form of it.
Dry macular degeneration develops when the tiny blood vessels under your macula get brittle which causes deposits to form. As these deposits collect, a dim spot develops in the center of your vision. With wet macular degeneration, new blood vessels grow to compensate for the old brittle ones. The new vessels are quite fragile and leak fluid easily and this further complicates the eye disorder. In fact, although the fewest cases are of the wet variety, they account for most cases of vision loss. You can have wet macular degeneration in one eye or both but if you have it one eye, the chances are much greater you will develop it in the other.
Experts aren’t sure what causes wet macular degeneration to develop in the first place although it does tend to run in families and in people over the age of 50. Other risk factors include cardiovascular disease, poor nutrition, obesity, excessive exposure to sunlight, light colored eyes, and cigarette smoking.
The symptoms of wet macular degeneration usually come on rapidly and severely. Your vision can decline to the legally blind category in just a matter of weeks. Blurry vision is the most common symptom. In addition, you will experience visual distortions. Straight lines may look wavy, objects may look lopsided. Things might look smaller than they really are. You may also notice a loss of brightness in colors and dimming of your vision. A blind spot grows in your field of vision. Even so, your peripheral vision is rarely affected so it is unlikely you would suffer from a complete loss of vision.
When wet macular degeneration strikes one eye only, your other eye may compensate so well you don’t even realize you have a problem. Sometimes though, if the communication between your brain and macula is affected, you may hallucinate by seeing things that aren’t there like faces, animals, or geometric shapes.
If you notice a loss of color in your vision or a blind spot developing in your central vision, you should have your eyes checked by a doctor. You can also keep check on your eyes at home by using an Amsler grid. You look at this grid with one eye at a time. If any of the lines appear wavy, missing, or blurry, you should contact an eye doctor right away.
There is currently no cure for wet macular degeneration but treatments can control the disease and slow its progress. Laser surgery may be suggested to destroy the growth of abnormal blood vessels that contribute to leaking. Certain medication may also be given to impede the growth of new vessels. Vision aids like magnifying glasses and bright lights can help you see better when you have wet macular degeneration.
Natural treatments with antioxidants, vitamins and lutein may be able to help prevent and slow the progression of wet macular degeneration. Lutein is a nutrient found in egg yolks, spinach, and other green leafy vegetables. It has been linked to good eye health. The National Eye Institute is studying its effectiveness in treating this eye disorder. Other supplements that may help are vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids.
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