Macula Degeneration or AMD

85% of all Macula Degeneration or AMD, cases are Dry Age Related Macula Degeneration which is found in the over 55′s. During the early stages of the condition you may notice difficulty reading small print and seeing fine detail. At this stage, you may find stronger reading lenses and a good quality reading light will help your vision.

While no treatment is available for this condition, vitamin supplements with high doses of antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, are prescribed by Opthamologists to slow the progression of dry macular degeneration and, in some patients, improve visual acuity.  The earlier the disease is detected the better chance of slowing its progression.

The “wet” form of advanced AMD, causes vision loss due to abnormal blood vessel growth.  If left untreated a rapid loss of vision will occur. Treatments with new drugs, called anti-angiogenics or anti-VEGF (anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) agents, can cause regression of the abnormal blood vessels and improvement of vision when injected directly into the vitreous humor of the eye.

If you know anyone with AMD please feel free to ‘share’ this animation with your colleagues using the ‘Share this Animation’ button below the media player and the animation link below.