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 the treatment also depends upon the location and the extent of growth of the abnormal blood vessels and damage inflicted to the Macula.
For Wet AMD, a treatment known as Photocoagulation has been found to be effective for sealing leaking or bleeding vessels. In this process, the choroidal neovascularizations (CNVs) or abnormal blood vessels are sealed off and destroyed by a high-energy laser beam which may prevent continued damage to the macula and arrest further vision loss. However, it’s important to note that even if laser treatment of this type is successful, CNVs may recur.
Photocoagulation is used only when the CNVs are not located directly under the Fovea. Another treatment called Photodynamic therapy or PDT is used in this circumstance. PDT is designed to halt or slow down the progress of vision loss and relatively painless. In this procedure, a light-sensitizing drug called verteporfin (Visudyne) is injected into the bloodstream, which settles in the CNV. As 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.
Another option of treatment that can be used if the CNVs are located directly under the fovea is Macular translocation surgery. In this operation, the retina is detached, and the fovea shifted away from the CNV and relocated over healthy tissue. The CNVs are then removed with forceps or destroyed with hot laser as soon as they are exposed, without any damage to the Fovea.
These are some of the treatments available at present for AMD but there are other numerous medications, clinical trials and experimental treatments being conducted by researchers and doctors.
Related Articles of Interest :
-
Macular Degeneration Medications
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
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...
-
Wet Macular Degeneration
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
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...
-
Macular Degeneration Research
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
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...
-
Age Related Macular Degeneration
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
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,...
-
Macular Degeneration
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
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...
-
Dry Macular Degeneration
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
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...
-
Macular Degeneration Symptoms
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
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...
-
Vision Care
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
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....
-
High Blood Pressure Treatments
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Most people often think that high blood pressure is a condition that only adults, 40 years old and above, experience. But actually, anyone can have high blood pressure, regardless of age, gender and race. High blood pressure, which is the elevated pressure of the blood...
-
Laser Hair Removal Treatments
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Over the years, laser hair removal treatment has been accepted and has mushroomed because of a better understanding of its use. Laser hair removal treatment may be the best form of hair removal, but it is not for everyone. Contrary to common conception laser hair...