Older people, did you know that “wet age-related macular degeneration”
is the vision “killer” of middle-aged and elderly people! Wet age-related macular degeneration is the second leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world according to WHO statistics, and the number one cause of blindness in people over 50 years old in the United States. In China, with the rising trend of aging population, the prevalence rate of macular degeneration in people over 50 years old has reached more than 15%, and it gradually increases with age.
What is macular?
Many patients think “macula” is the name of a disease. In fact, “macula” is a name for a special part of the retina of the human eye that we all have. The macula is located in the central part of the retina and contains a large number of dense photoreceptor cells, which is the most sensitive and critical area of our retina. Therefore, if any lesion occurs in the macula, it will have a serious impact on vision.
What is “age-related macular degeneration”?
Age-related macular degeneration is a degenerative disease that occurs in the macula as we age. Simply put, it means that the macula is aging. The disease is divided into two types: dry and wet, depending on whether there are neovascularization in the subretina.
Dry: no neovascularization, no retinal hemorrhage, little impact on vision.
Wet: there is neovascularization, the retina has a lot of hemorrhage and exudation, and vision loss is rapid and can lead to blindness.
Wet age-related macular degeneration, what are the dangers?
In all macular diseases, the main damage is caused to the vision. In the early stage, there is distortion of vision, straight lines become curved; dark shadows obscure the middle of the visual field. After that, there is a rapid loss of vision and eventually blindness. The loss of vision can seriously affect your ability to perform daily tasks such as cooking, household chores, making phone calls, reading, shopping, etc. It can also increase your risk of accidents, such as the risk of falling and breaking bones, etc. It can also make you more dependent on your loved ones for help and increase the burden on your children in terms of time and money. Many factors will bring you a serious psychological burden, and the ensuing psychological problems will be greatly increased.
Wet age-related macular degeneration, how fast does it really develop?
If not treated as soon as possible, vision loss will start within 3 months and will lead to blindness in more than 80% of patients within 2 years. Therefore, the earlier treatment is started, the greater the chance of vision preservation or restoration!
Choose the right treatment method and start treatment early!
There are three main types of treatment: laser therapy, photodynamic therapy, and anti neovascularization therapy. Here we look at the characteristics and advantages and disadvantages of each of these three treatments.
Laser: Laser cautery is used to destroy the retina with lesions, thus eliminating the abnormal neovascularization. Laser treatment cannot distinguish between abnormal neovascularization and normal retinal tissues, it burns the retina, no matter good or bad, just like burning weeds in a crop field with fire to remove the weeds, but at the same time, it burns the crop away. After laser treatment, the treated part of the retina will be non-functional and there will be no more lesions, forming a scar.
Therefore, laser treatment is suitable for laser treatment only when the lesion is far from the central macular recess.
Advantages: Laser treatment is inexpensive
Disadvantages: The treatment may bring about severe vision loss and may be permanent.
Photodynamic therapy: It is a special type of laser. A light-sensitive drug is injected intravenously, which reaches and attaches to the abnormal neovascularization in the eye with the bloodstream. Then, a special light is irradiated, which activates the drug inside the neovascularization and thus eliminates the abnormal neovascularization. Photodynamic therapy distinguishes between abnormal and normal tissues, like an elite force that specializes in fighting the bad guys, removing the bad and leaving the good.
Photodynamic therapy is indicated for the treatment of some specific types of patients or in combination with anti neovascularization therapy.
Advantages: Photodynamic therapy is painless and slows down the rate of vision loss
Disadvantages: It does not improve vision and its results are usually temporary and may require retreatment.
Anti-neovascular therapy: Scientific studies have shown that patients with “wet age-related macular degeneration” have abnormally high levels of a specific growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor A, which promotes the growth of abnormal new blood vessels. Anti-neovascular treatment can directly block the effect of VEGF A, not only destroying the formed neovascularization, reducing its bleeding and leakage like laser treatment and photodynamic therapy, but also blocking the formation of abnormal neovascularization from upstream. Like selective herbicides, it removes weeds and prevents their growth, preserving normal tissue.
Anti-neovascular therapy is now recommended internationally (including by the Chinese Academy of Ophthalmology) as the treatment of choice for most cases of “wet age-related macular degeneration”.
Advantages: It can improve and stabilize vision, and was named one of the world’s top 10 technological breakthroughs as early as 2006, with 7.5 million treatments so far, and its efficacy and safety have been clinically proven
Disadvantages: Intraocular injections are required, and multiple treatments are needed.
If you are suffering from wet age-related macular degeneration, which is a fast progressing and dangerous eye disease, you can stabilize and improve your vision by starting the proper treatment as early as possible. In order to keep your “vision”, we hope we can work together!