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Macular Degeneration

Macular Degeneration is an eye disease which mostly strikes the older generation 50 years of age or older but can be found in younger people as well. Macular Degeneration effects one's peripheral vision making it almost impossible to read or recognize faces. Ask questions here about causes, treatments and prevention.

121 Questions

Does Macular Degeneration cause mydriasis?

Macular degeneration itself does not directly cause mydriasis (dilated pupils). Mydriasis can result from various factors, including medications, neurological conditions, or eye trauma, but it is not a typical symptom of macular degeneration. Macular degeneration primarily affects central vision and the retina, leading to vision loss rather than changes in pupil size. If someone experiences mydriasis, it's important to consult a healthcare professional to determine the underlying cause.

Where did the Macular Degeneration disorder get its name?

Macular degeneration got its name from the macula, a small central area of the retina responsible for sharp, detailed vision. "Degeneration" refers to the deterioration or breakdown of this critical part of the eye. The term reflects the condition's impact on vision, particularly affecting tasks that require fine detail, such as reading and recognizing faces. The disorder is often associated with aging, hence its common designation as age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

What consequence to stopping injections for macular degeneration?

Stopping injections for macular degeneration can lead to a deterioration of vision, as these treatments are designed to inhibit the progression of the disease and prevent vision loss. Without ongoing therapy, fluid buildup and damage to the retina may occur, potentially resulting in irreversible vision impairment. Patients may experience increased blurriness, distortion, or even complete loss of central vision over time. Regular monitoring and consultation with an eye care professional are essential to manage the condition effectively.

How do you enlarge the font for visually impaired?

To enlarge the font for visually impaired users, you can adjust the settings on your device or application. On most computers, you can increase font size through the accessibility settings or by using keyboard shortcuts, such as Ctrl + "+" on Windows or Command + "+" on macOS. Additionally, web browsers often have zoom functions (Ctrl + "+" or Command + "+") that can enlarge text across all websites. For specific applications, check their settings or preferences for options to increase font size.

Can folic acid be the cause of a swelling under your eye?

Folic acid is generally considered safe and is essential for various bodily functions, including DNA synthesis and repair. However, if someone experiences swelling under the eye after taking folic acid, it could be due to an allergic reaction or interaction with other medications. It's important to consult a healthcare professional to determine the exact cause and to rule out other potential issues.

Is there any new treatments for macular degeneration?

Yes, there have been advancements in the treatment of macular degeneration in recent years. One notable development is the use of anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) injections, which help to reduce abnormal blood vessel growth and leakage in the eye. Another emerging treatment approach is the use of gene therapy to target specific genetic mutations that contribute to the development of macular degeneration. Additionally, researchers are exploring the potential benefits of stem cell therapy for regenerating damaged retinal cells in patients with macular degeneration.

What is the prognosis for a patient with macular degeneration?

The vision of patients with age related macular degeneration (AMD) is affected in several different ways depending on which type of AMD they have. The two types are dry and wet AMD. Wet causes the most severe vision loss.

When the photoreceptor cells of the macula, a tiny spot in the center of the retina, start dying or degenerating people will notice that they need more light to see clearly. Images seem blurry and are less sharp and crisp. That's because the macula is responsible for our detailed vision. Colors are less vivid and the world is not as bright as it used to be. As the AMD progresses they may notice a blurry or blank spot in the center of their vision or that straight lines now appear crooked or wavy.

How much does odsp cover for eye glasses?

Unfortunately, the answer is not simple. Generally, they pay the lens fee but only based on a benefit schedule. For example, the most recent schedule provides $10 for scratch coating. If your eyewear provider charges more, you must pay the difference for that item. Progressive multifocal lenses are usually not within the fees on the fee schedule. In addition, they allow higher amounts for stronger prescriptions depending on the power of the sphere and cylinder.

To make matters more complicated, in Ontario, optometrists usually price with frames and lenses at cost and add a 'flat-rate' dispensing fee. Opticians, however, use a retail price (marked-up) for the frame and lenses but omit the dispensing fee. So the schedule of benefits is different for opticians and optometrists. For example, the frame allowance for optometrists is $24.05 and for opticians it is about $45.00. You would be expected to pay the difference.

If you wish to have progressive lenses or Transitions lenses, you usually have to pay a difference in both the lens cost and dispensing fee. This will vary depending on where you go for your eyewear.

The following is just one example:

Single vision lenses, clear, scratch resistant coating

at the optometrist they may charge the following:

dispensing fee $100

lenses $25

scratch resistant coating $20

frame(including case) $79

In this case, the Ministry of Health (which distributes the payments for eyewear provided with ODSP authorization forms) might cover the following (approx.):

dispensing fee $40 (dispenser may choose not to charge you the difference)

lenses $25

scratch resistant coating $10

frame $24.05

case $1.60

What is macular degenative disease?

Macular degeneration, sometimes mistakenly (or jokingly) called 'immaculate degeneration,' is a condition that affects the macula, the central part of the retina. When the macula is damaged, the eye loses the ability to see detail clearly in the center of the field of vision. The earlier it is detected and treated, the better the chances are of limiting the damage. There are new drugs on the market that are being tested with a high degree of success, so if you suspect you or someone you know may have it, see an eye doctor as soon as possible. Good luck.

What causes lumps under the eyes?

Generally this is from a lack of sleep. However some drug abuse can cause this as well.

What vitimins can help age related macular degeneration?

There are many macular degeneration vitamins on the market that are promoted to help with vision. I will go over some of the ingredients that should be included in these eye health supplements. However, no matter how good any vitamin is, it is no substitute for healthy diet that includes antioxidant rich foods and eliminates or reduces the amount of processed foods and foods high in sugar and carbohydrates. See related link for more about antioxidant rich foods.

Several years ago when I found out that my husband's father had macular degeneration, I went to the drugstore to get some eye vitamins for my husband to perhaps help prevent or delay the onset of AMD in his eyes. I walked out of the store with nothing - the choices and options were so overwhelming I just didn't know which one to buy. I've learned quite a bit about vitamins since then.

Two of the most important carotenoids are lutein and zeaxanthin. Both of these antioxidants actually help build the macular pigment - a pigment in the retina that protects our eyes internally just like sunglasses do externally. The thicker the pigment the more protection. However, our bodies cannot make lutein or zeaxanthin, one must get them from diet or supplements. Studies have shown that macular pigment density which can be measured, does improve with foods rich in these antioxidants or by taking vitamins with them. See related link for more information.

Who discovered macular degeneration?

I have Myopic Macular Degeneration (MMD) which is caused from extremely high myopia (short sightedness).

Most people with Macular Degeneration have the Age-Related form which usually occurs in people over the age of 65 and is due to ageing, as opposed to MMD which is more mechanical and caused by the stretching of the eyeball due to the high level of myopia.

Although the causes of these types of MD are different, the end result is usually the same which includes loss of central vision. Central vision is the vision we use for fine detail such as reading.

There are now a few drugs available that can help prevent any further vision loss and in some cases, reverse vision loss before it has a chance to scare and become permanent. These drugs are called Avastin and Lucentis, long story but both drugs acheive about the same results, although Lucentis is meant to be more effective as it has been designed for the eye, whereas Avastin was designed to treat colon cancer. Avastin is much cheaper than Lucentis so many patients around the world use Avastin. Some countries may fund Lucentis and in those areas, it will be the drug of choice.

Follow My Eyes Diary (see related link below) for more info on these drugs and my experiences with them.

What is lycopene used for?

A number of studies have indicated that a lycopenerich diet lowers the risk of certain chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer , and age-related macular degeneration.

What can macular degeneration cause?

MaculardegenerationDry maculardegeneration is a chronic eye disease that causes vision loss in the center of your field of vision. Dry maculardegeneration is marked by deterioration of the macula (MAK-u-luh), which is in the center of the retina - the layer of tissue on the inside back wall of your eyeball.

Dry maculardegeneration is one of two types of age-related maculardegeneration. The other type - wet maculardegeneration - is characterized by swelling caused by leaky blood vessels in the back of the eye. Dry macular degeneration isn't associated with swelling and is the more-common form of the disease.

Dry macular degeneration doesn't cause total blindness, but it worsens your quality of life by blurring or causing a blind spot in your central vision. Clear central vision is necessary for reading, driving and recognizing faces.

Symptoms

Dry macular degeneration symptoms usually develop gradually. You may notice these vision changes:

  • The need for increasingly bright light when reading or doing close work
  • Increasing difficulty adapting to low light levels, such as when entering a dimly lit restaurant
  • Increasing blurriness of printed words
  • A decrease in the intensity or brightness of colors
  • Difficulty recognizing faces
  • A gradual increase in the haziness of your overall vision
  • A blurred or blind spot in the center of your field of vision
  • Hallucinations of geometric shapes or people, in cases of advanced macular degeneration

Dry maculardegeneration may affect one eye or both eyes. If only one eye is affected, you may not notice any or much change in your vision because your good eye compensates for the weak one.

When to see a doctor

See your eye doctor if:

  • You notice changes in your central vision
  • Your ability to see colors and fine detail becomes impaired

These changes may be the first indication of maculardegeneration, particularly if you are older than 50.

What do eye vitamins do for your eyes?

The most common is Vitamin A. The derivative of this is Beta-cerotine which helps to ad pigment to retina which in turn aids in vision. Other vitamins like E and C will help overall too.

Is there a cure for dry macular degeneration?

This is not a question that one answers with just a yes or no. Dry macular degeneration develops as a result of several different causes - the two main ones being genetics and diet or lifestyle. While there are several different dry macular degeneration treatments in clinical trials, there is no standard traditional treatment for dry age related macular degeneration. However, that doesn't mean that dry macular degeneration can't be reversed, but a person has to be willing to make some serious changes to their diet and lifestyle.

Chronic inflammation seems to play an important role in the degeneration of the macula. One of the best diets to address inflammation is to follow an anti-inflammatory diet. There are foods that are pro-inflammatory and foods that are anti-inflammatory. You can find out more by going to these links.

What are small red painless dots under the surface of the skin?

These sound like petechiae, which are hemorrhages of tiny capillaries under the skin. You can sometimes get them on your neck from coughing hard or vomiting forcefully or sometimes they will appear on your arm after having your blood drawn where the tourniquet was placed. They are usually harmless, however, if you are showing signs of illness and the petechiae show up for no reason, it may be a sign of something more serious, so it is always best to check with your physician.

What are some low iron foods?

While bananas and monkey poop may be low in iron, you probably don't want to live off of bananas, and probably don't want to touch, let alone eat monkey poop, so some other foods are, chicken, pork, flounder, peanut butter, and broccoli. Hope this helps.

-A.

What are treatments for wet macular degeneration?

The macula is a tiny spot in the center of the retina. There are several layers of tissue that bring nutrients and oxygen to the macula and remove built up waste products. One layer of tissue is called the choroid layer - this is a layer of blood vessels that helps with the transporting in nutrients and removing waste. In wet macular degeneration new but abnormal blood vessels grow and instead of helping with this transport system, they actually are harmful. The reason for this is that these abnormal blood vessels are very tiny and fragile - meaning that they leak fluid.

Wet macular degeneration gets it's name because of this excess blood and fluid from leaky blood vessels.

This abundance of fluid builds up under the macula and raises it which is what causes the distortion of vision - straight lines become wiggly or wavy.

What causes these unusual blood vessels to develop? There is a term called angiogenesis which means "new blood vessels."

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a protein secreted by cells that are oxygen deprived. VEGF stimulates the growth of these abnormal blood vessels.

Healthy adults secrete very low levels of VEGF, while those who have health conditions such as cancer or age related macular degeneration secrete high levels of this protein.

Does sun exposure affect the color of your hair by lightening it?

yes, on certain conditions such as you indirectly getting the lightit will slightly darken the color but dont worry it willl go back to normal in awhile . its barely noticeable.