Good afternoon teacher and classmates, today I’m going to talk about Macular

Degeneration.
The macula is the central part of the retina and is responsible for sharp central vision.
Its appearance is a small yellow spot. With age, the macula can deteriorate, causing
significant visual disability, including ability to read, drive and see clearly. This disease
is most common in people over age 60, which is why it is often called age-related
macular degeneration(AMD)
There are two main types of macular degeneration: dry and wet.
Dry AMD is the most common, this form is characterized by the presence of yellow
deposits, called drusen, in the macula. Drusen is thought to be debris from the
deteriorating macular tissue. As drusen grow in size and number, they can cause
dimming or distortion of vision. As dry macular degeneration progresses, atrophy or
tissue death may occur in the light-sensitive layer of cells in the macula. It is in the
atrophy stage that patients experience blind spots in the center of their vision. In more
advanced stages of the disease, central vision may be lost.
The other type of the disease is wet AMD, this form accounts for only about 10 percent
of cases, but it accounts for the majority of cases of serious vision loss from macular
degeneration. This type of the disease is characterized by the growth of abnormal
blood vessels underneath the macula. These abnormal blood vessels can leak blood
and fluid into the retina, causing distortion of vision. They may also lead to scarring
which can result in permanent loss of central vision.
SIGNS AND SYMPTONS
In the case of dry AMD, the most common symptom is blurred vision. Objects in the
center part of your vision often look distorted and dim, and colors look faded. You may
have trouble reding print or seeing other details. But you can see well enough to walk
and do most daily activities. But if it gets worse, you may need more light to read. A
blurred spot in the center of vision gradually gets larger and darker. In the later stages
of dry macular degeneration, you may not be able to recognize faces until they are
close.
In the other case, wet AMD, the most common early symptom is that straight lines
look distorted and wavy. There may be a small dark spot in the center of your vision
that gets larger over time.
RISK FACTORS include family background, smoking, fat intake, aging, also women are
more prone to develop macular degeneration than men.
DIAGNOSIS There is a method that ophthalmologists use called Amsler grid. In this
test, the person looks with each eye separately at the small dot in the center of the
grid. Patients with macular disease may see wavy lines or some lines may be missing.
Another type of diagnosis is an eye exam in which your doctor will put drops in your
eyes to dilate them, and he will use an special instrument to examine the back of your
eye. He will look for druses, because people with macular degeneration often have a
lot.
TREATMENT Actually there is no effective treatment for Dry AMD, but the intake of
vitamin supplements with antioxidants and zinc delay the progress of the disease.
On the other hand, the treatment for wet AMD consist of medications that may help
stop growth of new blood vessels by blocking the effects of growth signals the body
sends to generate new blood vessels. The doctor will inject these medications into the
affected eye. You may need injections every four weeks to maintain the beneficial
effect of the medication.
Another kind of treatment is Laser photocoagulation which is an eye surgery using a
laser to destroy abnormal structures in the retina.
INVESTIGATIONS The national eye institute of united states is studying the possibility
to transplant healthy cells into the retina.
PREVENTION The forms of prevention include a healthy diet with many vegetables,
not smoking, maintain a normal blood pressure, exercise regularly and to go constantly
to the ophthalmologist to avoid many kinds of diseases related to the eye.