By Hazel Cameron
Macular degeneration is a hereditarily or environmentally caused eye disease that leads the center of vision to degenerate and can eventually lead to blindness. The macula is a “small area in the retina of the eye, responsible for central vision and seeing fine detail clearly,” and is the part of your eye that is affected by macular degeneration (Vevers, 2023). There are two types of age-related macular degeneration (AMD): dry AMD and wet AMD. About 80% of people who have AMD have dry AMD, which is when “parts of the macula get thinner with age and tiny clumps of protein called drusen grow,” causing a slow loss in central vision (Boyd, 2023). Wet AMD is when “new, abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina. These vessels may leak blood or other fluids, causing scarring of the macula,” (Boyd, 2023).
People who eat a lot of saturated fat, are overweight, smoke cigarettes, have heart disease, have high cholesterol levels, or have hypertension, are more likely to develop AMD as well as those who receive an injury to their head, or have an infection. There is also about twice the risk of developing macular degeneration if one’s parent is affected by the disease. If you think that you might have macular degeneration, you should see an ophthalmologist who can assess your vision using something called an Amsler grid, a magnifying glass, or an optical coherence tomography.
Not all types of macular degeneration can be treated, but you can take steps to decrease the rate of degeneration such as taking vitamins and minerals, eating a nutrient-rich diet, quitting smoking, or using low-vision tools. Only dry AMD with geographic atrophy can be treated right now with the medications pegcetacoplan and avacincaptad pegol. Unfortunately, there is no treatment other than lifestyle changes for other types of dry AMD. For wet AMD, however, there are medications called anti-VEGF drugs, which reduce the amount of blood vessels in your eye.
Works Cited:
Boyd, Kierstan. "What Is Macular Degeneration?" Edited by David Turbert. American Academy of Ophtamology, American Academy of Opthamology, 13 Nov. 2023, www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/amd-macular-degeneration. Accessed 15 May 2024.
Dunaief, Joshua. "Is Macular Degeneration Hereditary?" Bright Focus Foundation, 25 Jan. 2023, www.brightfocus.org/macular/article/update-genetics-and-age-related- macular#:~:text=Macular%20degeneration%20is%20caused%20by,do
%20not%20have%20macular%20degeneration. Accessed 15 May 2024.
Vevers, Sarah. "What to Know about Non-Age-Related Macular Degeneration." Edited by Katherine E. Duncan. Medical News Today, Healthline Media UK, 10 Mar. 2023, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/non-age-related-macular- degeneration#summary. Accessed 15 May 2024.
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