There are two types of AMD: dry macular generation and wet macular degeneration. Dry AMD usually progresses slowly over several years, but wet AMD can cause rapid vision loss in days or weeks.
As for wet AMD, it's caused by the growth of abnormal blood vessels behind the retina. These blood vessels leak, causing both fluid and blood to pool behind the retina.
The symptoms of the vision loss from wet AMD can come on suddenly, even within one day, when blood vessels suddenly leak into the retina. The process is painless. The symptoms are distortion or a blind spot in the central vision. The blind spot can appear gray, red, or black.
Treatment of wet AMD requires monthly or bimonthly injections of drugs called anti-VEGF — or anti-vascular endothelial growth factor — into the eye. Anti-VEGF agents can slow or stop the growth of the leaky blood vessels and, in most cases, effectively stave off further vision loss.
Wet macular degeneration symptoms usually appear suddenly and worsen quickly. They may include: Visual distortions, such as straight lines seeming bent. Reduced central vision in one or both eyes.
Mental stress results in the higher production of a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is known to contribute to leakage and inflammation. The leakage may result in the build-up of fluids in the back of the eye resulting in macular edema.
Among people with wet macular degeneration, 20–30% of those receiving these injections will lose at least six lines of vision, in comparison with 50–60% of those who do not receive this treatment.
The most common treatment doctors use to slow vision loss from wet AMD is called anti-VEGF injections. These medicines help stop bleeding and leaking from blood vessels in the back of your eye. Most people with wet AMD will get anti-VEGF injections as their only treatment.
Macular degeneration is an eye condition that causes central vision loss. To prevent further vision loss, macular degeneration can be effectively slowed with laser surgery. There is, unfortunately, no cure for this medical condition.
The dry form of macular degeneration, in which the light-sensitive cells of the macula slowly break down, is the most common type, accounting for 90% of diagnosed cases. Wet macular degeneration accounts for approximately 10% of cases, but results in 90% of legal blindness.
It is possible to develop AMD in only one eye. However, as the disease progresses both eyes may become affected. If an individual has macular degeneration in one eye, he or she is more likely to develop it in the other eye than someone who does not.
Wet AMD. For patients with wet AMD, caused by new, leaky blood vessels growing into the retina, lost vision can sometimes be regained following injections into the eye of what are known as anti-VEGF antibodies. These include the drugs brolucizumab (Beovu®) aflibercept (Eylea®), and ranibizumab (Lucentis®).
Having macular degeneration does not automatically mean you have to stop driving. Many people still meet the legal requirements and can continue to drive safely and legally.
Both age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the prevalence of high blood pressure increase with advancing age. Hypertension is thought to increase the risk of AMD through damaging retinal vessels (1) or aggregate age-related vascular dysfunction (2).
Can you live a normal life with macular degeneration? You'll probably need to make some changes and adjustments to make life a bit easier with vision loss, but most people can live independently with AMD.
Gene therapy for wet AMD
Gene therapy is a promising alternative to ongoing eye injections of drugs such as Eyelea, Lucentis and Avastin. The goal of gene therapy is to provide a 'one-and-done' treatment by helping the eye make its own anti-VEGF medicine.
On February 17, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a groundbreaking treatment to treat geographic atrophy (GA), an advanced form of dry macular degeneration (AMD).
Smoking cigarettes or being regularly exposed to tobacco smoke greatly increases your risk of macular degeneration. Obesity. Research indicates that being obese may increase your chance that early or intermediate macular degeneration will progress to the more severe form of the disease.
Smoking is the risk factor most consistently associated with AMD. Current smokers are exposed to a two to three times higher risk of AMD than non-smokers and the risk increases with intensity of smoking. Moderate alcohol consumption is unlikely to increase the risk of AMD.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a chronic eye disease that causes the loss of central vision. Glasses and vision aids may help improve vision for people with AMD and may help them carry out everyday tasks more easily and safely.