Difference between
Dry & Wet Age Related
Macular Degeneration Treatment

Usually age related, macular degeneration occurs when cells in the macula begin to degenerate, and leads to blurred vision, and ultimately, even blindness.

During my research, I discovered that there are 2 main forms of MD; Standard MD and Age Related MD, where the latter is most common.

Non-ARMD
Non-ARMD, sometimes also known as Juvenile Macular Degeneration, are commonly a result of rare hereditary conditions such as:

  • Autosomal dominant hemorrhagic macular dystrophy
  • Best's disease
  • Doyne's honeycomb retinal dystrophy
  • Sorsby's disease
  • Stargardt's disease

I won't elaborate on these, since they are very rare, and can get very technical. Don't want you to feel like you are reading another language altogether! ;)

ARMD
Approximately 85% of ARMD is classified as "dry," or nonexudative, while the remaining 15% is considered "wet," or exudative.

What's the difference? Well, in dry-MD, fatty tissue (called drusen) accumulates behind the retina. When blood and other fluids begin to leak as a result of abnormal growth of blood vessels under the retina, this becomes wet-MD. If neglected, unfortunately, the macula can become completely damaged. Yes, that essentially means blindness.

Pictures courtesy of National Eye Institute
Normal vision; no Macular Degeneration
Normal vision 		With Macular Degeneration
Same scene as viewed by a person with MD

Symptoms of Macular Degeneration
Now, how will we know if we are suffering from MD? Here's a few symptoms we can take note of:

  • Vision becomes blurry. This happens more quickly if it's wet-MD.
  • What you see with your eyes have some areas that are missing or seem like shadows.
  • Vision becomes distorted. Straight lines appear curvy, or certain areas seem blank.
  • Difficulty when it comes to distinguishing colors, or rather, it becomes difficult to tell a dark color from a dark color, and a light color from another light color.
  • After exposure to bright light, the eyes take a long time to regain normal function.

    Alternatively, we can take the Amsler Grid Test as shown below:

    Macular Degeneration Amsler Grid

    Risk Factors for MD
    There are several factors that put us at risk of contracting MD. These include aging, smoking, family history, MD genes, hypertension (ie high blood pressure), high cholesterol, obesity, high fat intake, oxidative stress, race (more common in white people than in African Americans), and last but not least, exposure to sunlight (especially blue light).

    Macular Degeneration Treatment

    There are various MD clinical trials currently being conducted. Of the different approaches, anti-angiogenesis macular degeneration treatment seems most promising for wet-MD.

    The drug known as pegaptanib (Macugen) is approved for wet macular degeneration treatment. Another drug, ranibizumab (Lucentis), that is currently under trial as a form of macular degeneration treatment has also been shown to improve visual acuity significantly.

    What you can do
    High levels of antioxidants and zinc helps reduce the risk of ARMD setting in, by as much as 25%. So don't hold back on fruits and vegetables...they might very well save your eyes!

    Take good care of your eyes, and eat healthily. I'm sure you'd still want to 'see' the world in all its glory when you retire, don't you agree? ;)

    How To Improve Eyesight >> Eye Problems >> Macular Degeneration

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