Macular Degeneration Treatment: How Is It Done?
Aging comes with many health problems. While the other discomforts may be managed considerably, you are likely to feel lost when you begin to lose your vision slowly but surely. Visiting a noted ophthalmologist in your vicinity will help you to understand the nature of your problem and go ahead with the right treatment. Sadly, being afflicted with age-related macular degeneration is a condition that has almost no cure. You may only try and manage the symptoms as far as possible. No worries! You may be informed about the progression of medical science and its effects on such a degenerative condition. Be sure to ask about macular degeneration treatment and how you may hope for improvement.
It is important to understand the underlying facts associated with it once you visit an eye doctor. Feel free to ask the questions that have kept you anxious. You will be interested to learn that macular degeneration is chiefly associated with aging. Almost all patients with the complaint are above 50 or more. Remember that it is a condition that affects the central part of the retina. You will thus have a blind spot at the center and would be unable to view anything in front of your eyes. The side or peripheral vision remains intact, however.
What to expect duringmacular degeneration treatment?
It is disheartening to know that there is no cure for the condition. However, you may undergo treatment that will enable you to keep the effects low enough to view objects. The eye doctor will advise beginning a treatment plan early to avoid the progression of the condition. The symptoms will be reduced considerably too. There is no guarantee for improvement, however. Many patients have reported the severity of symptoms even after being treated for a long period.
Some of the most successful ways to treat the condition include the following:-
Nutritional Supplements
A combination of vitamins and minerals works admirably. Indeed such a combo of nutritional supplements has been recommended after several Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS and AREDS2). The supplements must contain any or all of the following as advised by the medical professional.
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Copper
- Zinc
- Lutein
- Zeaxanthin
Beta carotene had been recommended earlier but it poses a risk of developing lung cancer in smokers. Lutein & Zeaxanthin are antioxidants that have no side effects.
Medications
The ophthalmologist or eye surgeon may prescribe multiple drugs that reduce the degeneration to an extent. However, none of the drugs can cure wet macular degeneration completely. Some of the medications that have shown promise include:-
Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections
- Aflibercept
- Brolucizumab
- Faricimab-svoa
- Bevacizumab
- Ranibizumab
You will find the products marketed by different pharmaceutical companies. Ask your doctor to help you choose the right brand
Photodynamic Therapy
Macular degeneration treatment may also include Photodynamic Therapy (PDT). The eye specialist will use a few light-sensitive drugs in combination with laser energy to destroy the unusual and leaking blood vessels. This is the best way to treat wet macular degeneration.
