Your eye has many different parts that help you see clearly. If your macula is negatively affected, your vision will suffer. This could be a sign of macular degeneration. Allow us to explain symptoms, causes and treatments of macular degeneration:
Symptoms of Macular Degeneration
The early stages of macular degeneration do not have very noticeable symptoms. That’s why it’s so important to have regular eye examinations so your eye doctor can check for signs beyond what the naked eye can see.
Symptoms of macular degeneration include pigment clumping, blurry central vision, worsening vision, and errors in color perception.
Causes of Macular Degeneration
Although age is a huge factor for the development of macular degeneration, it is not the only contributing issue. Other risk factors of macular degeneration include:
- Consuming an excess of saturated fats
- Genetics
- High blood pressure
- Light eye color (blue or green)
- Light skin
- Sex (women are more prone to macular degeneration than men)
- Smoking nicotine products
If you fall under this risk factor category in any capacity, we encourage you to schedule regular eye exams with your Eyesight Associates’ doctor. Early diagnosis is extremely helpful to stop more vision loss from occurring and optimize your remaining eyesight.
Treatments for Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is not yet curable. However, there are treatment options available that can help your remaining vision. Depending on the severity of your condition and what you’ve already tried, your Eyesight Associates’ doctor may recommend certain medications, laser therapy, low vision aids, intraocular steroids, and blood vessel growth inhibitors. The referred treatment depends on what type of macular degeneration you have – wet or dry form.
The Eyesight Associates’ doctors can diagnose your eye condition and discuss treatment options. Give us a call today: 478-923-5872
If you missed part one in this series about macular degeneration, you can check it out here:
- Part 1 – Two Types of Macular Degeneration
- Part 2 – Symptoms, Causes, & Treatments of Macular Degeneration