Age-Related Macular Degeneration Information (AMD) in New Orleans

The American Academy of Ophthalmology determined that over two million Americans over the age of 50 have advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). In fact, AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in Americans over 50 years of age. AMD occurs when the area of your retina, called the macula, is damaged. This damage causes you to lose your central vision and affects your ability to see finer details.

eye doctor near me, optometry near me, optometrist, eye doctor Metairie, eye doctor New Orleans, glasses store near me, eye clinic near me

Stages of AMD

There are three stages of AMD, and regular eye exams will enable your eye doctor to determine the condition of your retina and determine the best method of treatment. All three stages can be measured by the level of drusen (fatty deposits found under the retina’s light-sensing cells).

Early AMD: Light presence of drusen. Like most conditions, catching symptoms early on gives you the opportunity to live a higher quality of life. Most people do not know they have AMD until they begin to exhibit symptoms associated with later stages. Thankfully, advanced scanning technology enables eye doctors to evaluate a patient’s retina and develop an eye care plan.

Intermediate AMD: Large drusen or pigment changes. At this stage, you may experience some vision loss. Intermediate AMD can be improved by low vision devices, such as bioptic telescopes, stand magnifiers, full diameter microscopes, and handheld video magnifiers.

Late AMD: Symptoms of Late AMD include severe vision loss through damage to your macula. There are two varieties of Late AMD-wet AMD and dry AMD. Eye doctors can treat Wet AMD through options such as drug injections, photodynamic therapy, and laser surgery.

AMD Treatment and Prevention

During the late stages of ARMD, an ophthalmologist will likely recommend therapy or surgery to repair the damage to your blood vessels.

  • Anti-Angiogenic Drugs. These injections prevent the new blood vessels from forming and, in some cases, can cause those with AMD to regain some vision.
  • Laser Therapy. Laser light therapy can destroy abnormal blood vessels that AMD has caused to grow.
  • Photodynamic Laser Therapy. This form of therapy is essentially a combination of the two treatments. An eye doctor will insert light-sensitive drugs into the eye and then activate those drugs with a laser. This causes damage to the abnormal blood vessels.