Because it is linked with aging, it is also calledage-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Macular degeneration occurs due to the damage that aging causes to yourmacula.
This part of your eye helps you see the details of what is in front of you.
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The causes of macular degeneration are not fully known.
Symptoms can affect your central vision, though they do not cause total blindness.
There is no cure.
Treatments may help preserve some central vision based on the pop in and stage of your disease.
This article describes the stages of macular degeneration and their common symptoms.
It also explains the treatments used at each stage and what they do.
It affects up to 90% of people with AMD.
Below are the stages in detail.
Early-Stage Dry AMD
Early-stage dry AMD usually occurs without noticeable symptoms.
It results when parts of your macula thin with age and allow for the formation ofdrusen.
Drusen are small clumps of lipid and protein that build up on the tissue of your retina.
Drusen can be identified during a routine dilated eye exam.
Having a few small drusen can occur in people 50 and older without macular degeneration or vision loss.
However, the presence of many small drusen or medium-sized drusen can often indicate early-stage AMD.
While this problem is common with age, it can happen earlier and at an accelerated rate with AMD.
It is also possible to have AMD without the disease progressing to late AMD.
This can result in irreversible vision loss.
This can occur with or without wet AMD.
Late-stage dry AMD results in the worsening of symptoms that occur during intermediate-stage dry AMD.
The condition changes to wet AMD in 10% to 15% of people.
This can occur at any stage of dry AMD.
There are no symptoms linked with early or intermediate stages of wet AMD.
Wet AMD is only identified as an advanced-stage disease when it is diagnosed.
Though less common than advanced dry AMD, advanced wet AMD is a more serious condition.
It triggers when new, abnormal blood vessels form under your retina.
Your macula can become damaged when these new blood vessels leak blood and other fluids.
Symptoms of wet AMD are similar to those that occur at the intermediate and advanced stages of dry AMD.
However, vision loss occurs much faster and more dramatically with wet AMD than dry AMD.
Stargardt disease is a common form of juvenile macular degeneration.
It typically affects both eyes, causing a slow loss of central vision between age 5 and early adulthood.
Stargardt disease is linked to genetic causes.
AMD Stages in Different Eyes
AMD can occur in one or both eyes.
Research indicates that 64.5% of people with AMD have the same stage of AMD in both eyes simultaneously.
This can delay your recognition of symptoms because you may not notice changes in your vision.
When AMD is diagnosed in only one eye, your healthier eye is likely to develop AMD.
The dry and wet forms of AMD can occur at the same time.
The dry form may continue to progress in an eye that has developed the wet form.
An eye exam includes a series of tests that measure your eye health and vision.
Age is the major risk factor for macular degeneration.
Being age 55 or older increases your risk of AMD.
Progression
Disease staging is a system of classifying disease severity based on diagnostic findings.
The stage of disease is used to determine your treatment and prognosis.
Disease progression describes the natural way that a disease changes, worsens, and possibly improves over time.
Treatment for Different Stages of Macular Degeneration
Treatments do not cure macular degeneration at any stage.
However, appropriate treatments administered as early as possible canhelp slow the disease progression of AMD.
The medication is administered every one to three months via an intravitreal injection.
It works by injecting a light-sensitive medicine calledverteporfininto your arm.
While the exact causes of the disease are not fully known, age is the main risk factor.
Stages of macular degeneration include early, intermediate, and late stages.
Late-stage disease can involve wet or dry AMD.
While there is no cure for the disease, treatments can help slow progression.
They can also help prevent further vision loss in certain cases.
Always report any vision changes to your eye care provider even if you are not due for an exam.
Some changes that occur with this disease can progress very quickly but may respond to treatment if given quickly.
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