Age Related Macular Degeneration
What is age-related macular degeneration? How do I know if I have it?
Age Related Macular Degeneration, sounds pretty scary, right? Especially the degeneration part? Having that associated with your vision also may frighten you. Age Related Macular Degeneration, commonly referred to as AMD, is an eye disease affecting the macula. The macula is the center of the light sensitive retina at the back of the eye; therefore, AMD causes loss of central vision. The National Eye Institute states that Age-Related Macular Degeneration or AMD is the leading cause of vision loss for people aged 50 and older. AMD typically does not cause complete blindness.
How do you know if you are in the beginning stages of AMD?
You need to schedule an appointment with your optometrist. Dr. Cory Boudreaux, optometrist and owner of Focal Point Eye Care in Baton Rouge, LA, states that early detection is essential in slowing and mitigating vision loss as we age and is one of many reasons to have an annual comprehensive eye exam.
When visiting with Dr. Cory Boudreaux you can expect to have a comprehensive macula evaluation. The macula evaluation consists of color photos, ocular coherence tomography scans and a slit lamp (microscope) examination.
I’ll describe in brief detail what each of these components do respectively to the exam.
Fundus photos use special cameras to provide a color picture of the back of the eye. The process is brief, taking a minute or two, and only involves a bright camera flash.
Ocular Coherence Tomography is an imaging machine that takes detailed scans of the back of the eye, including the retina and macula. OCT is not invasive or painful. You look into a lens while the machine performs the scans, again experiencing a series of flashing lights.
Slit Lamp is considered a key tool in determining the health of your eyes and detecting eye disease. It is a microscope with a bright light and gives your eye doctor a closer look at the front of the eye and inside the eye.
Ask your doctor about supplements you can take to keep your eyes healthy and slow down the process of retinal cell damage, specifically, talking to your doctor about Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
References:
Porter, D. (2019, May 21). What is a Slit Lamp? Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://www.aao.org/eye-health/treatments/what-is-slit-lamp
Age-related macular degeneration: Symptoms & treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15246-age-related-macular-degeneration
Editorial Team February 27, 2. (2019, February 27). What is Fundus Photography? Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://maculardegeneration.net/fundus-photography
Age-related macular degeneration. (2020, August 17). Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/age-related-macular-degeneration







