Putting It All Together

Here is a summary of the important facts and information related to macular degeneration.

• Macular degeneration is an eye disease that causes the loss of the sharp, central vision needed for many daily tasks.

• Macular degeneration most often occurs as people age, although a form of it can affect children.

• Symptoms of macular degeneration include fuzzy or blurry vision, an empty or dark area in the center of your vision, straight lines such as telephone poles or sentences on a page that appear to be wavy, and a dimming of vision when reading.

• The two types of age-related macular degeneration are dry AMD and wet AMD. Wet AMD causes most of the blindness that can result from macular degeneration.

• There is no proven treatment for dry AMD, but because it can progress to the more serious wet AMD, regular eye exams are important.

• In its early stages, wet AMD can be treated with laser surgery or photodynamic therapy.

• Laser therapy involves using a laser beam to destroy new blood vessels growing in the eye. The goal is to prevent additional loss of vision.

• Photodynamic therapy involves injecting the patient with a special drug that flows into the abnormal blood vessels in the eye. A special laser focused on these vessels causes a chemical reaction that destroys abnormal vessels.

• New surgical techniques and new medications are under investigation to treat macular degeneration.