Macular Degeneration: Recognizing and Treating It with Care from The Eye Center
The Eye Center provides comprehensive and compassionate care for those suffering from macular degeneration. This condition is one of the leading causes of vision loss in adults over the age of 50 and can be difficult to recognize and treat. In this article, we’ll discuss what macular degeneration is, how it can be treated, and why it’s important to seek care from The Eye Center if you think you may have this condition.
What Is Macular Degeneration?
Macular degeneration is an age-related eye condition that affects the macula – the part of the eye responsible for central vision. It occurs when the tiny blood vessels in this area become damaged or blocked, leading to a gradual loss of sight. This can make everyday tasks such as reading or driving difficult or even impossible.
There are two types of macular degeneration: dry (non-neovascular) and wet (neovascular). Dry macular degeneration is more common and occurs when tiny yellow deposits called drusen form on the macula. Wet macular degeneration occurs when abnormal new blood vessels grow beneath the retina, leaking fluid or blood that can damage surrounding cells. Wet macular degeneration tends to progress faster than dry macular degeneration, so treatment should be sought as soon as possible if symptoms are present.
How Can Macular Degeneration Be Treated?
At The Eye Center, we understand how frightening it can be to experience vision loss due to macular degeneration. That’s why our team works hard to provide comprehensive care for our patients with this condition. Treatment for dry macular degeneration typically includes lifestyle modifications such as quitting smoking or taking nutritional supplements like zinc or lutein/zeaxanthin that may help slow down its progression. For wet macular degeneration, we offer a variety of treatments including anti-VEGF injections into the eye that can help reduce swelling caused by leaking blood vessels and laser therapy that can seal off these vessels, so they no longer leak fluid or blood into surrounding tissue.
Why Seek Care From The Eye Center?
At The Eye Center, we understand how important your vision is – which is why we strive to provide comprehensive care for those experiencing any type of vision loss due to age-related eye conditions like macular degeneration. Our team of experienced ophthalmologists are dedicated to providing personalized treatment plans based on each patient’s individual needs and goals so that they can get back to living their best life as soon as possible! We also offer a variety of advanced technologies such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging which allows us to get a detailed picture of your eyes so that our team can better diagnose any issues you may have with your sight quickly and accurately. So, if you think you may have Macular Degeneration don’t hesitate – come visit us at The Eye Center today so that together we can work towards restoring your sight!
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The Eye Center is the leading refractive practice in South Carolina, providing full-service eye care and specializing in Refractive Surgery – Lasik, AST, PRK, PRELEX, as well as Corneal Transplant and Cataract Surgery.
If you need glasses or contact lenses to see clearly because of nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), astigmatism (abnormal curvature of the eye), or presbyopia (cannot read up close) Refractive Surgery can eliminate this need. The most common procedures (Thin-Flap Lasik, Epi-Lasik, & AST) involve laser vision correction. This surgical procedure is used to adjust your eye’s focusing ability by reshaping the cornea. Other procedures, such as PRELEX, involve changing the lens inside your eye. ICL simply adds a contact lens inside your eye.