Warning signs of retinal degeneration
“Macular degeneration” is a condition in which the retina deteriorates with increasing age. It is divide into 2 types:
1. Dry retinal degeneration (no abnormal blood vessels) occurs in approximately 85 percent of cases.
2. Wet retinal degeneration (abnormal blood vessels grow) occurs in approximately 15 percent of cases.
Causes and risk factors of macular degeneration include increasing age, having a family history of macular degeneration, smoking, which causes macular degeneration, certain genetics, and having certain underlying diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc.
From studies and data collection, it was found. That the incidence of macular degeneration was found in people over 50 years old at 12 percent, half. Which may be in both eyes. In the age range of approximately 40-45 years, it was found at approximately 5 percent, and in the age range of 80 years and older, it was found to increase to 80 percent.
Dry macular degeneration
Patients often do not have obvious symptoms. They may have a slow ability to adjust their vision, such as from dark to light or from light to dark. However, it is often detected by accident, that is, a yellow substance has accumulated in the retina. The pigment cells in the eye have changed, and patients may not yet have symptoms. Or, if the disease is severe, they may experience distorted vision.
Wet macular degeneration
Condition in which abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina, causing fluid, fat, or blood to leak into the retinal layer. Patients will experience distorted vision, a black spot in the center of the image, as if something is always blocking it, such as when looking at a clock face. Patients with wet macular degeneration will not be able to see the hands in the center of the clock, only the numbers around them. The image in the center is missing. This is an important symptom that most patients come to see a doctor.
The doctor will make a diagnosis by instilling eye drops to dilate the pupils to see if there is any abnormality of the retina. In addition, there will be an additional retinal scan, which is a cross-sectional image of the layers of the retina to see if there is a build-up of yellow matter in the layers. The imaging will show if there is fluid or blood coming out of the retina and help confirm the diagnosis of retinal degeneration.
In patients with wet retinopathy, the doctor will perform a further diagnosis by injecting a dye, which is a fluorescent substance, into the blood vessels and taking pictures to see if there are any abnormalities in the retinal blood vessels.
Once diagnosed, in patients with dry macular degeneration. There is currently no clear treatment because it is a degeneration caused by ยูฟ่าเบท age. In some cases, the doctor may consider taking vitamin supplements in high-risk groups, such as those with severe macular degeneration in the other eye. However, it can only slow down the symptoms of dry macular degeneration by 25%. It is not a cure or prevention of the disease. Therefore, the consideration of taking vitamin supplements depends on the discretion of the treating ophthalmologist.
For the treatment of wet macular degeneration, the main treatment is to inject medicine into the vitreous fluid.
Which will help stop blood vessels from growing or developing abnormally, reducing blood vessel leakage. The injections are given once a month. When the symptoms start to improve, the injections can be spaced out further.
In addition, cold lasers are use to help treat the disease by injecting light-sensitive chemicals into the blood vessels so that this substance will bind to the abnormal blood vessels. Then, a laser that does not generate heat is use to cause the substance to react chemically. Causing the blood vessels to shrink. Both of the above-mentioned treatment methods will improve the patient’s vision, but they are not completely curable. There is a chance that the disease will recur. Regular follow-up with an ophthalmologist is recommend. However, if the patient does not seek treatment immediately, it may result in loss of vision in the future.
General self-care and behavior
Include eating a balanced diet, avoiding smoking. Which is a major factor that contributes to retinal degeneration. People aged 40 and over should have their eyes checked at least once a year. Treat chronic diseases to be within normal limits, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or other diseases. In addition, an ophthalmologist may give the patient an Amsler Grid, which is a grid with small squares, and have the patient close one eye at a time and look at the grid to see if it is a straight line. If the straight line is distorted or a dark circle is seen. The patient will see a doctor sooner.