Macular Degeneration Treatment

AMD can be distressing, but your doctor can help find the macular degeneration treatment that is best for your particular situation.

Currently, there is no cure for AMD; however, there are a number of therapies available that can reduce the severity, slow or stop the progression, and sometimes even improve your vision. Although an early diagnosis will increase your treatment options and help your chances of stopping further deterioration, continued research and studies have found treatments for both Wet and Dry AMD that have been effective at various levels of disease advancement.

If your doctor has told you that you have a higher risk of developing eye disease, or if you have a family history of AMD, then the first area of treatment should be prevention. There are certain measures that you can take, including lifestyle changes and nutritional supplements, that can prevent macular degeneration, delay its onset, or slow its progression. For more information about http://www.online-eye-info.com/macular-degeneration-prevention.html">macular degeneration prevention click here.

Dry Macular Degeneration Treatment

At this time, there are no medical treatments or interventions for Dry AMD, however, research has shown that there are still some things you can do to slow down the deterioration of your vision. These include:

• Stop smoking
• Eat a diet low in saturated fats and high in fruits and leafy green vegetables.
• Add antioxidants and nutritional supplements to your diet.
• Control your blood pressure
• Protect your eyes from the sun

The progression of Dry AMD is usually very slow, and most people with this condition are able to live relatively normal lives, especially if only one eye is affected. Additionally, since AMD effects your central vision while leaving your peripheral vision untouched, a diagnosis does not mean that you will lose your vision completely. For more information about dry macular degeneration treatment, click here.

Wet Macular Degeneration Treatment

In the case of Wet AMD, abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina. These vessels can leak blood and fluid which cause damage to the eye. Over the course of time, this damage can result in blind spots in your central vision. This condition is called choroidal neovascularisation, or CNV, and the goal of Wet AMD treatment is to stop the growth of these vessels and slow the speed of retinal damage.

There are currently both medical and surgical treatments available, and depending on the severity or advancement of your condition, your doctor will decide which treatment is best for you.

Medical treatments include:

• Antioxidant therapy
• Laser therapy
• Photodynamic therapy
• FDA approved Anti-VEGF drugs such as Lucentis, Macugen, and Visudyne. These drugs help reduce or stop the growth of abnormal blood vessels underneath the retina.

Surgical treatments include:

• Vitrectomy and the removal of CNV. Vitrectomy is a procedure that removes the gel-like substance inside the eye due to the presence of blood, fluid, or scar tissue. The gel is replaced with a clear substance such as a saline solution. In some cases, the abnormal blood vessels that are the source of this bleeding, fluid, and scar tissue are also removed. This procedure has many potential complications and is not effective for all types of Wet AMD.

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