Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most common causes of poor vision after people reach the age of 60. It is generally considered to be age-related and part of the body’s natural aging process, but there are some risk factors that can be taken into consideration as well.
AMD is, in its most simple description, the breakdown of the eye’s macula, which is the light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye. The macula is important, as it is responsible for your central vision, which helps you see fine details easily. Things like threading a needle, reading fine print, seeing street signs, or even recognizing faces rely heavily on the macula.
With either dry or wet macular degeneration, catching the problems early on is key to preventing more significant damage. There is no medication or cure for dry macular degeneration, but there are some vitamin regimens incorporating a number of different vitamins which can be therapeutic for the condition and slow the progression and future vision loss of dry AMD. Our doctors recommend Focus AREDS2 which can be purchased in our office or our online store.
Treatments of either dry, atrophic AMD or wet, exudative AMD typically don’t improve vision, but they do work to slow down and prevent further loss of vision, which is, of course, a huge benefit to the patient.