Understanding AMD: Causes, Symptoms, and Risk Factors

By the year 2040, the number of people suffering from AMD (Age-related Macular Disease) will rise to 288 million, as per experts. This is alarming as we know how catastrophic it can be when it reaches an advanced stage. In this article, we will get to know what age-related macular degeneration and discover ways to control the progression.

What is AMD?

AMD or Age-related Macular Disease is a condition that affects the retina, especially the macula (present at the back part of the retina). The person experiences blurry vision, struggles to read and recognize, and finds it difficult to work on a laptop, computer, or mobile.

In the initial stage of the disease, the macula starts deteriorating over several months or years making it thin. In some cases, abnormal blood vessels are formed in the macula, allowing blood or excessive fluid to accumulate under the macula leading to macular damage. Both cases are dangerous and require proper medication support.

Types of Age-related Macular Degeneration

There are two types of Age-related Macular Degeneration:

• Dry AMD: The Dry form affects approximately 80% of the patients. The macula deteriorates over several months to years, resulting in macula thinning. The disease’s progression is slow. It is a mild form of disease. Lack of attention may result in a wet form. Though there is no treatment, vision aids can help to mitigate the effects.
• Wet AMD: It is a more serious and progressive form that can lead to permanent vision loss. In this, the abnormal blood vessels start surrounding the macula allowing excessive blood or fluid to run through leading to permanent vision loss. MM Joshi Eye Institute utilizes advanced techniques to detect and treat the disease effectively.

Know Your Risks of Age-related Macular Degeneration

50% of cases of this disease are caused by more than 20 genes as per scientific research. Therefore if you have a family history of Age-related Macular Degeneration you are at the higher risk zone. Other factors that can cause AMD are as follows:

• Age: It is a pre-dominating factor as people more than 60 years old are very prone to develop the disease.
• Gender: Women are more at risk than men. Two-thirds of the people suffering from AMD are women as they have more life expectancy as compared to men.
• Race and Ethnicity: White people are more at risk as compared to black people. People with light eyes do not reflect UV rays that harm the retina and develop the disease.
• Smoking: Smoking increases the risk of developing the disease as it reduces the oxygen level in your body leading to less supply throughout the body.
• High Blood Pressure: People with high BP are at high risk.
• Heart Problems: People with heart disease and high cholesterol levels are more at risk.

Symptoms

Most of the time people are not able to interrupt the symptoms. The most common symptoms of the disease are:

• Blurry Vision
• Diminished vision in less light
• Straight lines seem to be curved.
• Blank or dark spot
• A problem in seeing the colors

If your macula starts deteriorating you will not be able to see properly as image formation will not be proper.

Diagnosing Age-related Macular Degeneration

If you notice any vision problem in the central part of the eye, it is advisable to visit an ophthalmologist and get your eye screened as soon as possible. Some of the diagnosing techniques are as follows:

• Dilated Eye Examination: The doctor dilates your pupils using eye drops to see the back of your retina. Dilation allows the doctor to examine the retina for any signs of disease.
• Fundoscopy: After dilating the pupil, the doctor flashes a bright light into the eye to look for problems within the following areas: Retina, choroid, Blood vessels and optic disc. It helps in the in-depth analysis of the eye.
• Autofluorescence: Autofluorescence pictures are used by eye care experts to investigate the retina and track the progression of dry AMD. This helps in monitoring the outermost layer of the retina and checking the functioning of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells.
• Eye Chart Test: It measures your vision from different distances.
• Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT): OCT is a noninvasive method of imaging the retina. OCT generates cross-sectional retina images, allowing the different layers and thicknesses to be quantified. When your doctor detects advanced dry AMD, this procedure can detect thinning retinal areas that indicate the existence of geographic atrophy. This test is also commonly used by doctors to assess the retina’s reaction to various medications. To detect macular edema (retinal swelling) in case of wet AMD.
• Amsler Grid: The Amsler grid can aid in detecting early indicators of retinal illness and monitoring changes in vision following an AMD diagnosis. During an eye exam, your doctor may ask you to gaze at an Amsler grid. This grid is composed of a straight line with one black dot. When you focus on the dot if the lines seem to be wavy or fade away this could be a sign of Age-related Macular Degeneration.

Treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration

Dry AMD: There is no treatment available for Dry AMD. You can reduce the symptoms and complications by taking nutritional supplements, a healthy diet, and quitting smoking.

Wet AMD: Anti-VEGF Injections or Intravitreal injections are used for the treatment of wet AMD.

Conclusion

Once you understand AMD, its causes, factors, and risk factors you can detect it in the early stage. Preventive measures and timely intervention can play a major role in preventing you from the disease. Regular examination, change in lifestyle, and staying informed will help you in addressing this vision-threatening condition. MM Joshi Eye Hospital, Hubli is one of the Best eye care centres that can help in timely diagnosis and intervention of the disease. Take proactive steps towards better vision with eye experts.