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Macular Degeneration
Maurice Mosseri, MD is a nationally recognized ophthalmologist
(eye doctor) in the medical and surgical management of macular
degeneration. The Board Certified Ophthalmologist practices in Manhattan,
Brooklyn, and Queens, New York.
Macular degeneration, a disease that afflicts millions of elderly
people, refers to a type of damage to the sensitive part of the retina
called the macula. This macular area is responsible for seeing fine detail
such as reading or watching television. The dry type of macular
degeneration can range in severity from minor disturbances of vision to
more severe vision loss. In some patients, the degeneration progresses
to leakage of fluid and blood - this is called the "wet" type. It is
possible that some vitamin therapy and other innovative treatments may
slow down the progression of this disease. If the wet variety does
develop, patients usually experience severe loss of vision and the only
treatment is laser therapy to limit the damage. Since all forms of
treatment, including laser, are most effective early in the disease, it is
important that older people get examined for macular degeneration.
Patients with macular degeneration should report visual disturbances to
Glaucoma Consultants of New York right away.
Macular Degeneration FAQ
What is Macular
Degeneration?
Macular Degeneration is a group of diseases characterized by a
breakdown of the macula. The macula is the center portion of the retina
that makes central vision and visual acuity possible.
The retina is the delicate innermost layer of tissue that lines the eye.
It contains layers of light receiving cells called photoreceptors that are
connected to the brain by the optic nerve. If you think of the eye as a
camera, the retina is the film on which images are recorded and the macula
is the small, central part of the retina.
What Causes
Macular Degeneration?
Early onset forms of macular degeneration are genetic — programmed into
your cells and not caused by injury, infection or any other environmental
factors. Certain genes necessary for normal vision give faulty messages to
the cells in the macula, which leads to their progressive degeneration and
eventual loss of vision.
Macular degeneration, is the leading cause of vision loss in adults over
the age of 55. Studies have found that both genetic and environmental risk
factors influence the disease.
What Are the
Symptoms of Macular Degeneration?
Blurring of Central Vision
Difficulty Seeing Detail — Up Close and at a Distance
Distortion of Lines and Shapes
Diminished Color Vision
Are There Special
Tests to Diagnose Macular Degeneration?
Yes.
Your doctor will examine your eyes with special lenses to view the
interior of the eye through the pupil. Other tests for Macular
Degeneration
include:
Acuity Tests: This test measures the accuracy of your central
vision at specific distances in specific lighting situations.
Amsler Grid Test: This test checks for spots of sight loss.
Color Testing: This can help determine the status of your cone
cells, the retinal cells that interpret color.
Fluorescein Angiogram Test: This test allows your doctor to
visualize the inner structure of the eye. Photos are taken of the retina
and the macula in order to identify new blood vessel growth and leakage
from blood vessels.
Is there a
Treatment for Macular Degeneration?
Laser photocoagulation can help some people with wet macular
degeneration. In this treatment, laser light rays are directed into the
eye and focused on a small spot on the macula. The laser destroys the
blood vessels growing beneath the retina and seals leaky areas. This
treatment does not restore lost vision, so it is critical that is be
applied as early as possible before vision loss has progressed
significantly.
What Is Wet Macular
Degeneration?
Wet macular degeneration accounts for about 10 percent of cases. Wet
macular degeneration is also called choroidal neovascularization,
subretinal neovascularization, exudative, or disciform degeneration. In
wet macular degeneration, abnormal blood vessel growth forms beneath the
macula. These vessels leak blood and fluid into the macula damaging
photoreceptor cells. Wet macular degeneration tends to progress rapidly and
can cause severe damage to central vision.
In some cases, if wet macular degeneration is diagnosed early, laser surgery
can prevent extensive central vision loss. In this type of surgery, laser
beams destroy the leaky blood vessels that form beneath the macula. For
laser surgery to be effective, it is critical that wet macular
degeneration be diagnosed before extensive vision loss occurs. Therefore,
individuals should consult with an eye doctor at the first sign of blurred
or distorted central vision. Doctors are also conducting clinical trials
to test experimental treatments. If you are diagnosed with wet macular
degeneration, you may want to ask your doctor about these treatments.
What Is Dry Macular Degeneration?
Dry macular degeneration accounts for about 90 percent of all cases. Dry
macular degeneration is sometimes called atrophic, nonexudative, or
drusenoid macular degeneration. With dry macular degeneration,
yellow-white deposits called drusen accumulate in the retinal pigment
epithelium (RPE) tissue beneath the macula. Drusen deposits are composed
of waste products from photoreceptor cells. For unknown reasons, RPE
tissue can lose its ability to process waste. As a result, drusen deposits
accumulate in the RPE. Drusen deposits are typically present in patients
with dry macular degeneration. These deposits are thought to interfere
with the function of photoreceptors in the macula, causing progressive
degeneration of these cells. Drusen deposits can, however, be present in
the retina without vision loss.
Vision loss from dry macular degeneration occurs very gradually over the
course of many years. Central vision may even remain stable between annual
eye examinations. Individuals with macular degeneration do not usually
experience a total loss of central vision. However, vision loss may make
it difficult to perform tasks that require finely focused vision. Although
there are extensive research efforts to find treatments for dry macular
degeneration, at this time no proven treatments exist.
To
schedule an appointment with the eye doctor to review your macular degeneration, or if you
have any surgical or nonsurgical questions pertaining to your eyes, please
feel free to contact Board Certified Ophthalmologist, Maurice Mosseri, MD
at any of his New York offices (Brooklyn, Manhattan, or Queens) or send an email to
info@drmosseri.com.
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