Diagnosing and Care for Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration diagnosis starts with a review of your medical and family history. From there, the ophthalmologist or optometrist moves on to conduct several eye tests. They are:

 

Optical Coherence Tomography

This test provides a detailed cross-sectional image of your retina, showing all its layers clearly. The eye doctor can see areas of the retina that are thickening, thinning, or swelling. The changes in thickness are caused by fluid accumulation.

 

Fluorescein Angiography

For this test, the doctor will inject a dye into your body through a vein in your arm. The dye spreads throughout the body, and some of it gets inside the blood vessels in your eye. The doctor then uses a camera to take pictures of the dye as it passes through the blood vessels. From the images, the doctor may note retina changes and the development of any abnormal blood vessels. If these signs are confirmed, you may have wet macular degeneration.

 

The Check for Any Central Vision Defects

The test to evaluate your central vision for any defects uses an Amsler grid. If you have macular degeneration, straight lines seem broken, faded, and distorted.

 

Examining the Back of Your Eye

The doctor conducts this test by putting eye drops inside your eyes to dilate the pupils. He then uses special equipment to look through the pupils and examine the back of the eye. The doctor then checks to see whether there’s a mottled appearance called drusen. Drusen are some yellow deposits that develop under the retina. Most people with macular degeneration have many drusen deposits.

 

Indocyanine Green Angiography

Like the fluorescein angiography, this test also uses a special dye to examine blood vessels’ formation. The doctor uses it alongside the fluorescein angiogram to identify and monitor macular degeneration.

 

Treatment for Macular Degeneration

The treatment procedures available for macular degeneration do not cure it. They only slow or stop its progression, especially if it’s detected early. Some of the treatment options are:

 

Surgery

For only a selected few with advanced macular degeneration affecting both eyes, surgery is an option. The doctor implants a telescopic lens in one of the eyes to give you some sight. The lens inserted is a small plastic tube that resembles a telescope. The tube is fitted with lenses that enlarge your field of vision. The lens is also suitable for improving your close-up and distance vision.

 

The only downside to lens implantation is that your field of view narrows.

 

Elderly persons living in urban areas may find the telescopic lens very useful. It makes it easy for them to identify street signs.

 

Low Vision Rehabilitation

Macular degeneration only affects your central vision, leaving behind your peripheral vision. As such, it does not result in complete blindness. But, you need your central vision to perform many everyday tasks like reading and driving. You may need to maximize your use of the remaining vision to maintain some level of independence. Your eye doctor, an occupational therapist, or a low vision rehabilitation specialist may help with this. They teach you how to work with the little vision left.

 

Lifestyle Changes

Besides the treatment methods, adjusting your lifestyle may slow the disease’s progression. You may want to eat healthily, take vitamin supplements, and maintain a healthy weight. If you have an underlying condition, keep it controlled. Also, have regular eye exams to monitor any changes in your eye health. If you smoke, it will help if you quit the habit altogether.

 

For macular degeneration diagnosis and care, contact Limestone Eye Care in Lawrence, KS at (785) 268-6880 to request an appointment.