Macular Degeneration

Our eye doctor, Dr. William Burnett, O.D., will perform several tests during your appointment including an examination of the back of the eyes. Specialize drops are added to the eyes so they dilate. The optometrist then uses an instrument to examine the back section of the eye to determine if there is blood, fluid or a mottled appearance resulting from drusen. Most of those who have macular degeneration have drusen, which are best described as deposits that develop below the retina. The eye doctor will test for defects within the center component of vision, possibly using a grid to determine if there are any defects. Those with macular degeneration see distorted, broken or faded lines within the grid in spite of the fact that such lines are actually straight.

If you are diagnosed with macular degeneration, don’t panic. There are several treatments available to mitigate the disease’s progression, preserve your vision and even help you recover vision that has been lost. Medications help halt the growth of additional blood vessels by blocking growth signals sent by the body to create additional blood vessels. Such drugs are the initial treatment line for wet macular degeneration. Medications are also used though they require the optometrist injecting them into the affected eye. Photodynamic therapy is also an acceptable treatment method in which the abnormal blood vessels in the macula’s center are treated through an injection of verteporfin in a vein in the arm that ends up moving to the eye’s blood vessels.

To learn more about Macular Degeneration, schedule an appointment with one of our doctors and visit: ​http://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/eye-and-vision-problems/glossary-of-eye-and-vision-conditions/macular-degeneration?sso=y