Your gift of sight is precious. You may know that macular degeneration, or AMD (age-related macular degeneration), affects vision. Is it inevitable as you age, or can it be avoided?
Our board-certified ophthalmologists and optometrist at Wolchok Eye Associates, PA, help clarify the truth and myths about macular degeneration.
Like many other health conditions, macular degeneration is more common in older adults; that’s why it’s normally termed age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, this eye disease can affect younger adults, too. Children with myopia can develop juvenile macular degeneration. Genetic factors also influence the development of the condition. Regular eye exams can detect eye diseases at an early stage and prevent adverse outcomes.
The good news for patients with AMD keeps coming. While scientists haven’t yet found a cure, there are new treatment options that help preserve your vision.
Most macular degeneration patients suffer from dry AMD. The FDA approved the first non-invasive treatment for intermediate dry AMD in late 2024, called photobiomodulation. The treatment uses laser light therapy. It may help you see significantly better at an earlier stage of the disease.
If you have wet AMD, we use special anti-VEGF injections to prevent leaky blood vessels in your eye. Two new drugs have recently been approved for wet AMD that likely enable you to go 3-4 months between treatments.
Unfortunately, this isn’t true. You may or may not have symptoms in the early stages of this eye disease. Your macula, which controls your central vision, changes as the disease starts developing, but your vision may not be affected. However, your eye specialist can detect changes in the macula and can start preventive treatment. Keep regularly scheduled eye exam appointments so problematic conditions can be identified at an early stage.
The foods and beverages you consume, as well as your lifestyle habits, do have a cumulative effect on your health and can increase the possibility that you develop AMD. Known risks for AMD include obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
Focus on eating heart-healthy foods, including plenty of lean protein, whole grains, and vegetables and fruits. Stay away from fatty, processed, and sugary foods to lower your risk of heart disease.
You double your risk of AMD if you smoke. Knowing that fact can increase your motivation to enroll in a cessation program. Make sure you wear sunglasses with 100% UVA and UVB protection; long-term sun exposure without protection increases your risk for AMD.
Call Wolchok Eye Associates, PA, today for a comprehensive eye exam to ensure your eye health.
