If left untreated, age-related macular degeneration can lead to severe vision loss

Age-related macular degeneration can have a devastating impact on patients’ eye health and visual acuity when left untreated.

Understanding AMD: A common cause of vision loss in older adults

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye condition that affects the retina, occurring when a part of it called the macula is damaged.[1] AMD is a very common eye disease, and it is the leading cause of vision loss among people aged 50 years or older.[2]

AMD causes significant vision impairment; people living with this disease lose their central vision and are no longer able to see fine details (whether they’re looking at something close up or far away), although their peripheral vision remains unaffected.[3] The loss of one’s central vision can make it challenging to do many daily activities, including reading, driving and distinguishing faces.

How AMD impacts daily life and central vision

There are two types of AMD: dry AMD and wet AMD.

Dry AMD is the more common form of the disease, affecting about 80 per cent of people who have AMD.[1] Dry AMD occurs when over time, parts of the macula get thinner and tiny clumps of protein grow, called drusen.[2] It can also be described as a gradual deterioration of the macula as the retinal cells die off and are not renewed.[3]

The differences between dry and wet AMD: Progression, symptoms, and impact

People who have dry AMD may have drusen, pigment abnormalities or geographic atrophy, which is an area of cell loss in the retina[1] and is considered to be an advanced form of dry AMD.[2] Dry AMD causes patients to lose their central vision over time, with symptoms getting slowly and progressively worse.[3] Due to the slow progression of dry AMD, patients may not be aware that they have the condition and may not seek appropriate treatment – which is why regular visits to the eye doctor are important, especially as we get older. In its early stages, dry AMD typically has no symptoms.^[4] In about 10 per cent of individuals, dry AMD progresses to wet AMD.^[5]

Wet AMD is much less common than dry AMD and also much more serious.[6] With wet AMD, abnormal blood vessels begin to grow under the retina, and these vessels may leak blood or other fluids, causing the macula to scar.[7] Patients lose their central vision faster with wet AMD than with dry AMD, which is why this version of macular degeneration is considered to be the most severe and damaging type of AMD.

The importance of early detection in preventing vision loss from AMD

Many people don’t realize they have any form of AMD until it results in a significant loss of vision, which can lead them to believe that their age-related vision loss came on quite suddenly.   Early detection of AMD and other eye diseases that can impact one’s visual acuity is extremely important, because if left untreated, AMD can result in severe loss of central vision.  .[1] Untreated dry AMD can also lead to wet AMD, which causes a more rapid loss of central vision.[2]

Managing dry AMD: Prevention, risk factors, and treatment options

With early-stage dry AMD, patients can take certain steps to reduce the risk of it progressing, including monitoring changes in their vision, following a healthy lifestyle, eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and quitting smoking.[1] Being aware of the risk factors of AMD can also be beneficial. These include a family history of AMD, age (especially being over 60 years old), race (Caucasians have a higher rate of AMD), having light-coloured eyes, smoking, high sun exposure, consuming a poor diet with a low intake of fruits and vegetables (a low intake of antioxidants), having heart disease, high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol or obesity.[2]

It’s also important to maintain a regular schedule of eye doctor visits, taking a preventative approach to ensure early detection of any vision health issues and, accordingly, prompt treatment.

Aside from prevention and holistic approaches to managing AMD symptoms, there is also one treatment option currently available for dry AMD. MacuMira’s Vision Therapy is the only clinically-approved treatment in Canada for  . It uses non-invasive eyelid surface neurostimulation to deliver a patented microcurrent through patients’ closed eyes, helping to improve their vision, as shown in a  demonstrating its long-term effects. In the study, patients experienced improved visual acuity on an average of eight letters on the ETDRS chart.

Learn more about MacuMira’s Vision Therapy for dry AMD by speaking to your eye care professional, or contact MacuMira directly for more information.

Disclaimer: Always speak to your primary health care provider and/or eye care provider before making any changes to your lifestyle, activities or diet.

References

1. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/amd-macular-degeneration
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. https://www.fightingblindness.ca/eyehealth/eye-diseases/age-related-macular-degeneration/
5. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/amd-macular-degeneration
6. Ibid.
7. https://www.macularsociety.org/macular-disease/macular-conditions/age-related-macular-degeneration/
8. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/amd-macular-degeneration
9. https://www.fightingblindness.ca/eyehealth/eye-diseases/age-related-macular-degeneration/
10.  https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/amd-macular-degeneration
11.  https://www.fightingblindness.ca/eyehealth/eye-diseases/age-related-macular-degeneration/
12.  https://www.fightingblindness.ca/eyehealth/eye-diseases/age-related-macular-degeneration/
13.  Ibid.
14.  Ibid.
15. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/agerelated-macular-degeneration-amd#:~:text=Age%2Drelated%20macular%20degeneration%20can,that%20require%20fine%20central%20vision.
16. https://preventblindness.org/dry-age-related-macular-degeneration-amd
17. https://www.fightingblindness.ca/eyehealth/eye-diseases/age-related-macular-degeneration/
18. https://preventblindness.org/dry-age-related-macular-degeneration-amd