Age-related macular degeneration

What is age-related macular degeneration?

Age-related macular degeneration

Is there any difference in vision between your left and right eyes?Age-related macular degeneration is one of the diseases that is increasing with the aging society.It is a disease that can lead to blindness.

Symptoms

Age-related macular degeneration is a disease in which the macula, which plays an important role in seeing things, becomes damaged and changes with age, causing a decline in vision. When we see things, the light that enters the eye is received as a stimulus by a tissue called the retina, which transmits the signal to the optic nerve to send it to the brain. The central part of the retina is the macula.

When the macula changes, symptoms such as things appearing distorted, the center of the field of vision becoming dark or missing, and decreased vision appear.Diabetic retinopathy、GlaucomaAt the same time, it is important to be aware that it can cause blindness.

Types and causes

How does the macula become damaged? There are two types of age-related macular degeneration: dry and wet, and each type has a different cause.

The "dry type" is a phenomenon in which the tissue of the macula atrophies with age. The symptoms progress slowly and there is no sudden loss of vision.

In the "exudative type," new blood vessels (neovascularization) form just under the retina, and these vessels damage the macula. Neovascularization is not found in normal retina and is very fragile, leaking components and accumulating, or prone to bleeding. Fluid leaking from these blood vessels damages the tissue of the macula, causing visual impairment.

Treatment

Treatment for "atrophic type"

No treatment is required. However, regular checkups are necessary because the condition can progress to the "wet type" and cause a rapid decline in vision.

Treatment for "exudative" type

The most common method is to inject a drug called anti-VEGF therapy, which calms down new blood vessels, into the vitreous. There are also other surgical treatments that stop damage to the macula by destroying new blood vessels, such as "photodynamic therapy," which injects a light-sensitive drug into the body and irradiates a weak laser when it reaches the new blood vessels, and "photocoagulation," which burns the new blood vessels with a laser.Depending on the size and location of the new blood vessels, early detection can minimize the amount of blindness after treatment, and your vision will be barely affected. Check each eye on a daily basis to see if things look distorted, and try to detect the problem early.

Maintain eye health with a balanced diet.

It has been pointed out that low intake of lutein, a component found in large amounts in green and yellow vegetables such as spinach, is associated with an increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. To maintain the health of your eyes and your entire body, be sure to eat plenty of green and yellow vegetables and maintain a balanced diet.

Lutein is thought to be useful in preventing age-related macular degeneration. Lutein is a type of carotenoid found in green and yellow vegetables. It is present in the macula, the center of the retina, and protects the eyes from light stimuli. Age-related macular degeneration is a disease in which the function of the macula is impaired, causing symptoms such as decreased vision and darkening of the central field of vision. By actively consuming lutein, it is expected to reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration and suppress its progression.