top of page

Eye Exams For Macular Degeneration

Age Related Macular Degeneration is a condition in which a persons central vision is compromised. 

 If it has been a while since your last comprehensive eye exam schedule one today! We will complete a thorough examination of the health of your eye and test for any vision problems.

ARMD.jpg

Age. This disease is most common in people over 50

Family history and genetics. This disease has a hereditary component. Several genes have been identified in      relation to developing the condition.

Race. Macular degeneration is more common in Caucasians.

Smoking. Smoking cigarettes or being regularly exposed to smoke significantly increases your risk.

Obesity. Research indicates that being obese may increase your change that early or intermediate ARMD will progress to the more severe form of the disease.

Heart Disease. If you have had diseases that affected your heart and blood vessels, you may be at higher risk. 

Risk Factors of Macular Degeneration Include

​

​

Types of Macular Degeneration

There are two types of age related macular degeneration, dry and wet.​

​

Dry Macular Degeneration

Dry macular degeneration is a common eye disorder among people over 50. It causes blurred or reduced central vision, due to thinning of the macula. The macula is the part of the retina responsible for clear vision in your direct line of sight.

​

Dry macular degeneration may first develop in one or both eyes and then affect both eyes. Over time, your vision may worsen and affect your ability to do things, such as read, drive and recognize faces. But this doesn't mean you'll lose all of your sight. Vision loss is typically central and people retain their peripheral vision. Some people have only mild central vision loss, while in others it can be more severe.

​

Early detection and self-care measures may delay vision loss due to dry macular degeneration.

​

Wet Macular Degeneration

Wet macular degeneration is a chronic eye disorder that causes blurred vision or a blind spot in your visual field. It's generally caused by abnormal blood vessels that leak fluid or blood into the macula.

​

The wet type always begins as the dry type.

​

Early detection and treatment of wet macular degeneration may help reduce vision loss and, in some instances, recover vision.

Symptoms

Wet macular degeneration symptoms usually appear suddenly and worsen rapidly. They may include:

  • Visual distortions, such as straight lines seeming bent

  • Reduced central vision in one or both eyes

  • The need for brighter light when reading or doing close-up work

  • Increased difficulty adapting to low light levels, such as when entering a dimly lit restaurant

  • Increased blurriness of printed words

  • Decreased intensity or brightness of colors

  • Difficulty recognizing faces

  • A well-defined blurry spot or blind spot in your field of vision

Diagnosis

Your doctor will review your medical and family history and conduct a complete eye exam. To confirm a diagnosis of macular degeneration, he or she may do other tests, including:

​

  • Examination of the back of your eye. Your eye doctor will put drops in your eyes to dilate them and use a special instrument to examine the back of your eye. He or she will look for fluid or blood or a mottled appearance that's caused by Drusen. People with macular degeneration often have many Drusen — yellow deposits that form under the retina.

  • Test for defects in the center of your vision. During an eye exam, your eye doctor may use an Amsler grid to test for defects in your central vision. If you have macular degeneration, some of the straight lines in the grid will look faded, broken or distorted.

  • Optical coherence tomography. This noninvasive imaging test displays detailed cross sections of the retina. It identifies areas of thinning, thickening or swelling. This test is also used to help monitor how the retina responds to macular degeneration treatments.

​

Treatment

As of now, there's no treatment for dry macular degeneration. However, there are many clinical trials in progress. If your condition is diagnosed early, you can take steps to help slow its progression, such as taking vitamin supplements, eating healthfully and not smoking.

​

Medications, used to treat wet macular degeneration, may help stop the growth of new blood vessels by blocking the effects of growth signals the body sends to generate new blood vessels. These drugs are considered the first line treatment for all stages of wet macular degeneration. Your doctor injects these medications into the affected eye. You may need injections every four to six weeks to maintain the beneficial effect of the medication.

 

Your optometrist will discuss with you the next steps if your dry macular degeneration becomes wet, as these treatments are not performed at Norwich Optometry

bottom of page