Though there is no permanent cure for Macular Degeneration, some medications may actually assist in halting or slowing down the progress of the disease and loss of vision. While some of these medications are totally experimental, others have been found to be effective and have already been approved by the FDA.
The FDA approved a new type of medication called Macugen drug treatment, developed by Eyetech Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer, in 2004. In this procedure, intravitreous injection or injection into the eye is administered once every 6 weeks. The drug injected uses a therapeutic particle to attack a protein that causes the growth of abnormal blood vessels or choroidal neovascularizations (CNVs) under the Macula. The medication seems to be one of the most successful treatments for AMD so far.
In Visudyne drug medication, a procedure called Photodynamic therapy or PDT is used to halt or slow down the progress of vision loss and relatively painless in which a light-sensitizing drug called verteporfin (Visudyne) is injected into the bloodstream which settles in the CNV. Then when non-thermal light is directed at the macula, it activates the drug releasing substances that obstruct the growth of CNVs under the macula transforming them into a thin scar.
It is also known that high dose of antioxidant vitamins such as beta-carotene (vitamin A) and vitamins C and E, and zinc supplements slows down the progression of macular degeneration. Treatment with these antioxidants and zinc reduces the probability of developing advanced Macular Degeneration AMD and loss of vision.
There are also other experimental treatments, medications and clinical trials being conducted by researchers and investigators.
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Macular Degeneration Treatments
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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There is no treatment that can cure or reverse the course of Dry Macular Degeneration. Even the available treatments for the Wet type at present are only meant to slow down the progress of the disease and avoid further loss of vision. The success of...
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Dry Macular Degeneration
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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There are two types of Macular Degeneration or AMD. The first and more common type is the Dry Macular Degeneration. 85% to 90% of the cases of AMD or Age-related macular degeneration are of the dry or atrophic type. It is also a fact that...
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Macular Degeneration
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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The progressive deterioration of the Macula or the central portion of the retina causes macular degeneration. The macula is responsible for focusing central vision in the eye (ability to see objects directly in front) and for processing sharp, clear images. Macular degeneration or damage to...
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Wet Macular Degeneration
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Wet Macular Degeneration, also known as the exudative type, is the more severe of the two types of AMD or Age-related Macular Degeneration, which cause 90% of blindness from the disease but only accounts for 15% of AMD cases. Wet macular degeneration develops when new...
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Age Related Macular Degeneration
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Age-related Macular Degeneration or AMD is a common eye disease that causes progressive damage to the central part of the retina, also known as the Macula. AMD is the leading cause of visual impairment in the United States, and blindness in senior citizens of America,...
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Macular Degeneration Research
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Since Macular Degeneration or AMD is an incurable disease, there have been numerous experiments and tests conducted by researchers to halt or slow down the rate of its progression and vision loss caused by the disease. While most of the results have been disappointing, some...
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Macular Degeneration Symptoms
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Macular degeneration usually generates a gradual and painless loss of vision. The signs and symptoms of AMD may depend upon what type of the disease a person may have – Dry AMD or Wet AMD. Retinal examinations such as Ophthalmoscopy, Vision testing, Fundus photography, Amsler...
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Vision Care
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Over one million Americans over the age of 40 face the threat of blindness or are currently blind. Another 2.4 million are visually impaired. These numbers are expected to double in the next 30 years. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness....
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Hair Loss Medications
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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If you are experiencing some hair loss, you can take medication to remedy the situation. Medications can slow the thinning process of the hair, help grow new hair, and maintain and promote the health of the existing hair. You need to take note that hair...
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Diabetes Medications
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Diabetes medications are attempted when normal diabetic diet, weight loss and exercise fail to bring blood sugar to a normal range. They include oral drugs and hypodermal injections. Medication usually starts when the average blood glucose levels are greater than 150 mg/dl (8 mol). Diabetes...