Did you know macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in older adults? It’s true. In fact, untreated macular degeneration can lead to blindness. It’s important to protect your vision by visiting your eye doctor regularly. The ophthalmologists and optometrists at Precision Eye Group provide a wide range of vision services, including diagnosis and treatment of macular degeneration. They have several convenient office locations in Honesdale, Dingmans Ferry, Carbondale, and Lake Ariel, PA, to help you.
What You Need To Know About Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration, also known as AMD, is an eye disease affecting a specific part of the retina, known as the macula. There are two classifications of AMD:
Dry AMD, the most common type which accounts for about 80% of people diagnosed with AMD. Dry AMD results from age-related thinning of the macula and growth of small clumps of protein.
Wet AMD, which is the most serious type of AMD. Wet AMD results from growth of abnormal blood vessels underneath the retina. The abnormal blood vessels leak fluid and blood, leading to macular scarring.
AMD causes loss of central vision, resulting in:
- Blurred vision
- Straight lines appearing wavy
- Difficulty picking out fine details
- A dark area in the center of your vision field
There are several risk factors for developing AMD, including:
- Smoking
- Eating a diet high in saturated fat
- Being overweight or obese
- Being over 50 years old
- Having heart disease
- Having high blood pressure
- Having high cholesterol
- Having a family history of AMD
There is no treatment for dry AMD, but there are several vitamins and supplements you can take to protect your vision, including:
- Vitamin C (500 mg)
- Vitamin E (400 IU)
- Lutein (10 mg)
- Zeaxanthin (2 mg)
- Zinc (80 mg)
- Copper (2 mg)
For wet AMD, your eye doctor may advise anti-VEGF drug therapy, or laser surgery, to reduce abnormal blood vessels and reduce leakage of blood and fluid into the macula.
Want To Know More?
To find out more about macular degeneration and how your eye doctor can help restore your vision, call the eye doctors at Precision Eye Group. You can reach them in:
- Honesdale, PA, at (570) 253-6551
- Dingmans Ferry, PA, at (570) 686-1102
- Carbondale, PA, at (570) 282-4080
- Lake Ariel, PA, at (570) 698-4140
Call today.