The retina is a thin membrane (like wet tissue paper) that lines the back of the eye.  Its purpose is to turn the light into a picture that can be sent to the brain through the optic nerve. 

The retina is divided into 2 parts – a central part, called the macula, and an outside or peripheral part.

The central part is the most important as we look straight ahead to see most things. As such this central part gets more use than any other area.  It is more prone to aging changes. 


DRY MACULAR DEGENERATION:

We often see yellow deposits under the central retina or macula, and we call these deposits DRUSEN.

When significant DRUSEN are present, we call this dry macular degeneration. It is very common, slowly progressive, and usually affects your vision mildly or sometimes not at all.

Dry macular degeneration is the better kind to have.


WET MACULAR DEGENERATION:

Sometimes this dry macular degeneration switches to the more serious kind of macular degeneration – wet macular degeneration.  In this case, abnormal blood vessels start to grow under the macula, and they can leak fluid or blood and cause SUDDEN, SIGNIFICANT loss of vision. 


SYMPTOMS:

Symptoms of macular generation include wavy lines, central blurring, and distorted vision.

They are often best seen with an Amsler Grid.  This test displays vertical and horizontal straight lines in front of the patient.  Bent, missing, or distorted lines often signal the onset of macular degeneration. It should be used with 1 eye at a time.

Who gets Macular Degeneration?

The biggest risk factors for macular degeneration are a family history, smoking, and age. 

Treatments:

High doses of Vitamin E (400 units/day), C (500 mg/day), A (25,000 Units/day), and Zinc (60 mg/day) have been shown to slow the progression of macular degeneration.

Lasers and injection of medicine into the eye such as AVASTIN or LUCENTIS have shown great results in the treatment of wet macular degeneration.