It started with a simple trip to purchase a new pair of glasses. Shortly after the routine eye exam, Dean Hopper made an appointment with Dr. Lance P. Steahly, an ophthalmologist.
“I went for a pair of glasses and the next thing I knew I was scheduling another appointment,” Hopper, 78, said.
Test results indicated Hopper had age-related macular degeneration or AMD.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology defines the disease as damage or breakdown of the macula, a small area at the back of the eye that allows one to see fine details clearly. When the macula is damaged or breaks down, a person can experience blurriness or darkness in the center of their vision.
According to the AAO, most cases of the disease occur as part of the body’s natural aging process and are separated into two common types: dry (atrophic) and wet (exudative).
Between the two types, dry macular degeneration is diagnosed about 90 percent of the time and is caused by aging and thinning of the tissues of the macula. In most cases vision loss is gradual.
Recently, data published in a study of age-related eye disease showed that daily nutritional intake of zinc or the combination of zinc and antioxidants significantly reduced the risk of progression in the dry form of the disease. Before the new study, there were no proven treatments available.
“Dry macular degeneration is the area that needs the most work done in terms of treatment,” Steahly said.
Wet macular degeneration results when abnormal blood vessels form in the back of the eye and leak fluid or blood causing blurred central vision. In this case, vision loss may be rapid and severe.
There are different treatments for people with certain types of wet macular degeneration. Laser surgery and photodynamic surgery are the two most common. These surgeries have been shown in studies not to cure the disease but to slow the progression of the vision loss, according to the AAO.
“Right now, the best we can do is stabilize it. There is no cure,” Steahly said, “But hope is out there with some advanced techniques. They are works in progress.
“If it’s caught early and it’s not real bad, you can still function in everyday life. It just slows you down.”
Symptoms of AMD can be different with each individual. The AAO reported that in early stages, symptoms may not be noticeable. In some cases, one eye loses vision while the other continues to see well for many years. When both eyes are affected, the loss of central vision is noticed quickly.
“I had no symptoms at all,” Hopper recalled. “When they were checking my eyes for new glasses they told me I probably had macular degeneration. I guess it’s just one of those things when you get older.”
Like Hopper, many people do not realize they have AMD. Steahly recommends adults, between 40 and 50 years old, have yearly eye exams. Doctors are often able to identify early signs of the disease.
The AAO says one of the first signs of AMD is that a straight line becomes a wavy or distorted line. A simple vision test that uses a pattern of lines, resembling graph paper called the Amsler grid, is one of the techniques initially used to detect vision loss. The AAO also recommends doing this test at home on a daily basis.
Another way to detect AMD is by viewing the macula with an ophthalmoscope, an instrument used for examining the inner structure of the eye.
Sometimes special photographs, called angiograms, are taken to find abnormal blood vessels under the retina. In this case, fluorescent dye is injected into the arm; and the eye is photographed as the dye passes through the blood vessels in the back of the eye.
Despite advanced medical treatment, the AAO reports many people still experience vision loss with AMD. In these cases, doctors may prescribe optical devices or refer the individual to a low-vision specialist.