What Is It?
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There are two types of macular degeneration, namely wet and dry:
- The dry macular degeneration accounts for about 90%
of the cases and is caused by aging and the thinning of tissues of the macula. The
process is slow and only cause mild vision loss and is only noticed during reading.
- The wet macular degeneration is a much greater threat to vision loss. New blood
vessels grow below the retina where they leak blood and fluid that causes large
blind spot in the center of the vision field and this would be a disturbance to vision.
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| Treatment
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Macular degeneration could not be treated. However, the conditions
could be improved. Treatment could be done to help the patient to see better and stabilize
the condition.
Out patient laser surgery might be an option for people with severe wet macular degeneration.
A laser beam is used to kill the abnormal blood vessels and works best when they have not
grown under the macula. However, if the vessels had already grow beneath the macula,
laser surgery would not be of much help. Therefore, early diagnosis is very important.
People who experience mild of severe vision loss due to macular degeneration do not lose
their peripheral vision. Therefore, one would not go blind due to macular degeneration.
Thus, with the help of vision aids, one could still continue to lead a normal, independent
life and able to enjoy much of their favorite activities. |
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| Symptoms
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Though macular is more common in people over 60, it is, however,
possible for people in their 40's or 50's to get these symptoms:
- Blurry or fuzzy vision
- Straight lines, such as
sentences on a page, telephone poles, and sides of buildings, appear wavy
- A dark or
empty area appears in the center of vision
If you experience any of these symptoms
in either one or both eyes, schedule an appointment with your ophthalmologist for
an examination immediately. |
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| Nutrition & Macular Degeneration
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Vitamins and mineral supplement can stabilize dry macular
degeneration. Zinc in the diet could slow down the process of macular degeneration
as zinc is highly concentrated in the eye and is important for the health of the retina.
Some people also believe that antioxidant vitamins, which include Betacarotene
and other Caratenoids, vitamin C and E plus selenium, may help slow down the disease.
However, there is no definitive scientific evidence to show that dietary supplement
has direct link to macular degeneration |
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