Macular Degeneration
Yesterday, Dr. Rosen discussed my left eye problem and we agreed to wait 3 weeks and monitor the condition before proceeding. The condition is not at a condition that the results can not be predicted. In the meantime my vision is still about as it has been.
The following is an edited article about Macular Degeneration.
Regarding
Macular
Degeneration
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the retina?
The retina is the back surface inside the eyeball, opposite the lens. It contains millions of light sensitive cells, called rods and cones. An image projected by the lens onto the retina is sensed by the rods and cones as different intensities of light and different colors.
What is the macula?
The central portion of the retina directly opposite the lens, is called the macula. What is the fovea? At the center of the macula is very small area called the fovea. Despite its small size the fovea is very important for our ability to see fine detail and color
What is macular degeneration?
In macular degeneration, the light-sensing cells of the macula mysteriously malfunction and may over time cease to work. Macular degeneration occurs most often in people over 60, which case it is called Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD).
How is macular degeneration diagnosed?
The major symptoms of macular degeneration are: When viewing an Amsler grid, some straight lines appear wavy, and some patches of the grid appear blank.
In wet macular degeneration, when angiography is performed, leakage of the indicator dye into the bloodstream is seen from blood vessels behind the macula. 19 to 15% of ARMD cases are the wet form, so called because of leakage into the retina from newly forming blood vessels in the choroids . Sometimes the fine blood vessels in the choroid underlying the macula begin to proliferate. The cause is unknown. When those blood vessels proliferate, they leak and cells in the macula are damaged and killed. The principal symptom of macular degeneration is reduction or loss of central vision, with retention of peripheral vision. At present, it is the only treatment which has been proven effective for any form of macular degeneration. The laser beam essentially "cooks" the tissue which is exposed to it. The beam has a very small cross section, which is aimed at a leakage point revealed by angiography. With luck, the cooking, or coagulation, of the cells at the leakage point will stop or slow leakage, hence the progress of macular degeneration caused by the leakage. Only about half of patients with wet ARMD are candidates for laser photocoagulation. Also, laser photocoagulation is only effective about half the time it is done as a treatment for wet macular degeneration. When effective, the benefit lasts on the average abou y one year.
The following is an edited article about Macular Degeneration.
Regarding
Macular
Degeneration
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the retina?
The retina is the back surface inside the eyeball, opposite the lens. It contains millions of light sensitive cells, called rods and cones. An image projected by the lens onto the retina is sensed by the rods and cones as different intensities of light and different colors.
What is the macula?
The central portion of the retina directly opposite the lens, is called the macula. What is the fovea? At the center of the macula is very small area called the fovea. Despite its small size the fovea is very important for our ability to see fine detail and color
What is macular degeneration?
In macular degeneration, the light-sensing cells of the macula mysteriously malfunction and may over time cease to work. Macular degeneration occurs most often in people over 60, which case it is called Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD).
How is macular degeneration diagnosed?
The major symptoms of macular degeneration are: When viewing an Amsler grid, some straight lines appear wavy, and some patches of the grid appear blank.
In wet macular degeneration, when angiography is performed, leakage of the indicator dye into the bloodstream is seen from blood vessels behind the macula. 19 to 15% of ARMD cases are the wet form, so called because of leakage into the retina from newly forming blood vessels in the choroids . Sometimes the fine blood vessels in the choroid underlying the macula begin to proliferate. The cause is unknown. When those blood vessels proliferate, they leak and cells in the macula are damaged and killed. The principal symptom of macular degeneration is reduction or loss of central vision, with retention of peripheral vision. At present, it is the only treatment which has been proven effective for any form of macular degeneration. The laser beam essentially "cooks" the tissue which is exposed to it. The beam has a very small cross section, which is aimed at a leakage point revealed by angiography. With luck, the cooking, or coagulation, of the cells at the leakage point will stop or slow leakage, hence the progress of macular degeneration caused by the leakage. Only about half of patients with wet ARMD are candidates for laser photocoagulation. Also, laser photocoagulation is only effective about half the time it is done as a treatment for wet macular degeneration. When effective, the benefit lasts on the average abou y one year.
posted by Russell at 7:19 AM
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