Wiles Eye Center is home to highly-skilled eye care professionals with extensive experience providing quality eye health care. Using advanced techniques and state-of-the-art technologies, the dedicated team provides macular degeneration treatments for patients suffering from this debilitating disease. The staff of Wiles Eye Center Clinics in Kansas City & St. Joseph, MO are on the cutting edge of treatment options to help optimize the visual health of our macular degeneration patients.
About Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness and vision loss in people over 65 in the United States. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive disease that causes a loss of central vision. The retina is responsible for capturing light which enters the eye. AMD occurs in the macula, a unique area of the retina that lets us see fine details and color.
Approximately 11 million Americans have some form of macular degeneration, a number that is expected to double to nearly 22 million by 2050. The disease usually begins with very little noticeable symptoms but if left untreated, can lead to permanent vision loss. Although there is currently no cure for macular degeneration, early detection and treatment can help prolong vision and avoid irreversible damage.
Who Is at Highest Risk of Getting AMD?
This condition affects both distance and close vision and can make some activities like threading a needle or reading very difficult or impossible. Although the exact causes of AMD are not fully understood, data suggests that aging effects result in reduced levels of antioxidants and carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin) in the retina, in turn reducing your eyes’ natural protection against ocular damage from environmental light/sunlight.
Studies show that retina levels of sight-saving antioxidants and carotenoids are depleted by 30 to 40 percent in patients with macular degeneration. However, proper nutritional supplementation may be able to raise the levels back to normal.
AMD is more likely to affect Caucasians and women, and it tends to run in families. Other risk factors include:
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- Obesity and inactivity
- Light eye color
Although you cannot control your age, your eye or skin color, or your family history, there are things you can do to reduce your risk of AMD. You can quit smoking or not start, and protect your eyes from the sun by wearing sunglasses with 100 percent UV protection. You can eat a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and stay active. You can work with your medical team to manage existing health conditions like diabetes and blood pressure problems and keep them in check. Finally, you can see an ophthalmologist annually for a complete eye exam to look for any emerging problems that can be easily treated.
Download the AMD Information Sheet
Dry AMD versus Wet AMD
There are two forms of AMD, (Dry & Wet) and the two damage the macula in different ways.
Dry macular degeneration occurs when changes in the retinal tissue lead to drusen deposits in the macula, an indicator of unhealthy retina support cells. Dry macular degeneration occurs over time as the center of the retina, the macula, deteriorates and makes it difficult for patients to perform detailed vision tasks, such as reading and writing. Recommended treatment for dry macular degeneration includes UV protection while outside, avoiding smoking, eating a healthy diet rich in antioxidants, use of an Amsler grid to monitor vision, MacuTab vitamin supplements and regular follow-ups every six months with a board certified ophthalmologist.
Symptoms of Dry Macular Degeneration
The symptoms of dry macular degeneration can include the following:
- Distorted, blurry or “fuzzy” vision
- Straight lines that appear wavy
- Poor central vision
- Trouble recognizing faces
- Difficulty adjusting to low-light environments (i.e., a dim restaurant)
- Colors that look less bright or intense than normal
- Difficulty reading fine print or capturing details
Learn more about the Amsler Grid
Learn more about MacuTab vitamins
Conversely, wet macular degeneration develops after the growth of abnormal blood vessels in or under the macula. As these blood vessels grow through a process known as neovascularization, they begin to leak fluid and damage the macula tissues. This can lead to a more rapid loss of central vision, which is why prompt treatment is important. About 10 percent of patients with dry macular degeneration will eventually develop wet macular degeneration. Additional treatment options for wet macular degeneration patients may include Lucentis injections and laser photocoagulation.
Symptoms of Wet Macular Degeneration
Wet macular degeneration can cause any of the following symptoms:
- Hazy or blurry vision
- Blurry or blind spots in the visual field
- Dull or faded colors
- Poor central vision
- Straight lines that appear bent
In cases of wet macular degeneration, symptoms tend to develop more rapidly than they do with the dry form of the disease.
Diagnosing Macular Degeneration
When diagnosing macular degeneration, our doctors will take a detailed medical and family history and perform a comprehensive eye examination. We will put special eye drops in the eye to dilate, or widen, the pupil so that we can get a thorough look at the back of the eye. As we examine the eye’s structures, we will specifically look for signs of drusen, as they cause the back of the eye to look mottled.
Testing for macular degeneration may include any of the following:
Amsler grid
This printed chart of horizontal and vertical lines is used to detect problems with vision stemming from issues with the macula. Macular degeneration causes some of the straight lines of the grid to appear wavy, blurry or otherwise distorted.
Fluorescein angiography
This test involves injecting a colored dye into an arm vein and taking photographs as the dye travels through the tiny blood vessels in the eye. These images can illuminate abnormal blood vessels or any changes in the retina.
Indocyanine green angiography
This test can confirm the findings of fluorescein angiography or be used to pinpoint a particular type of macular degeneration.
Optical coherence tomography (OCT)
This test scans the retina and produces detailed, cross-sectional images of it. OCT is helpful for looking for areas of retinal thinning, thickening or swelling caused by leaking blood vessels.
Macular Degeneration Treatment at Wiles Eye Center
Once macular degeneration has been identified through retina examinations, the skilled eye care professionals at Wiles Eye Center will then order several advanced tests to identify the type and extent of the disease to provide customized care. While there is no treatment to fully cure macular degeneration, there are several options available to slow the disease.
The eye care professionals may recommend nutritional supplements, such as MacuTab, to slow or reverse dry macular degeneration. MacuTab supplements are made up of a multi-vitamin formula that includes antioxidants, minerals, lutein and zeaxanthin. These natural nutrients have been proven to promote eye health and are available at affordable prices.
For St. Joseph and Kansas City macular degeneration patients suffering from the wet form of the disease, Wiles Eye Center offers revolutionary laser treatments and medications.
Laser photocoagulation uses a high-energy laser beam to reduce the number of abnormal blood vessels in the retina and stop them from leaking. Laser photocoagulation may not restore vision that has already been lost, but it can slow down further damage. About half of patients that undergo laser photocoagulation require retreatment within three to five years.
Another treatment option is to inject special drugs like Avastin or Lucentis into the eyes to reduce the number of abnormal blood vessels and slow their leakage. Called anti-VEGF drugs, these drugs are designed to block the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), or proteins that produce new blood vessels. Anti-VEGF drugs stop the growth of blood vessels to slow or halt their leakage and slow down the loss of vision. In some cases, injecting anti-VEGF drugs into the eyes may help restore some of the vision that has already been lost.
Frequently Asked Questions about Macular Degeneration
Is age always the primary cause of macular degeneration?
Although most cases of macular degeneration are due to age-related changes within the eye, younger people can get the disease, too. A type of macular degeneration known as Stargardt’s disease is inherited and occurs in younger people due to genetic factors.
Does macular degeneration develop in one or both eyes?
Macular degeneration can affect one or both eyes.
Who is at the highest risk of developing macular degeneration?
Macular degeneration is most likely to affect individuals that:
- Are over the age of 65
- Are Caucasian
- Smoke
- Have a family history of the disease
- Are exposed to excessive amounts of ultraviolet light
- Eat a poor diet with lots of junk food
Can macular degeneration be prevented?
There is no specific way to entirely eliminate the risk of macular degeneration. However, our doctors encourage eye-healthy habits like wearing sunglasses to block out UV light, eating a healthy diet and not smoking. These habits may play a part in reducing the risk of macular degeneration.
What are the types of macular degeneration?
Dry macular degeneration is the early and mild type of the disease. With cases classified as dry macular degeneration, the macular tissue thins and ages, and yellow deposits called drusen can grow underneath the macula, gradually causing the retinal cells to atrophy.
In the more serious type of macular degeneration, classified as wet macular degeneration, new blood vessels can grow underneath the retina, leaking blood and fluid. As the blood vessels leak, the fluid destroys the retinal cells, causing vision loss.
How do I know if I have macular degeneration?
The only way to know for sure that you have macular degeneration is to consult with an ophthalmologist. If you experience any of the common signs of macular degeneration, including fuzzy or shadowy areas in your central vision, straight lines that appear wavy and problems with night vision, you should be screened by your eye doctor for the disease.
How is macular degeneration diagnosed?
Macular degeneration is diagnosed through a comprehensive eye exam and tests with an ophthalmologist. An Amsler grid may be used to test for visual defects in the center of the field of vision. Fluorescein angiography may be performed to get a clear look at the blood vessels in the retina. Another technology that is often used when diagnosing macular degeneration is optical coherence tomography, which captures cross-sectional images of the retina to look for thinning, thickening or swelling.
Do other eye diseases like cataracts raise the risk of developing macular degeneration?
No, other eye diseases do not affect whether a person develops macular degeneration.
What is the AREDS formula?
Based on the results of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study, the AREDS formula is a specific combination of vitamins and antioxidants thought to delay or prevent the progression of dry AMD into wet AMD. The AREDS formula is not believed to have any preventative benefits to people that don’t have the disease.
Can macular degeneration be cured?
There is currently no cure for macular degeneration. An experienced ophthalmologist can help someone with macular degeneration manage the disease and stave off vision lost to the disease.
Contact Wiles Eye Center
For more information about macular degeneration treatment at Wiles Eye Center, please request an appointment to meet with one of our doctors.
In addition to being renowned as talented macular degeneration treatment specialists, the eye surgeons of Wiles Eye Center offer advanced cataract treatments. Dr. Stephen B. Wiles, MD., F.A.C.S., is one of the nation’s leading cataract surgeons. To meet with one of our doctors about your eye care needs, please contact us.