I would like to report on one disease that affects the Retina: Macular degeneration. According to the National Eye institute, the macular is located in the center of the retina. Macular degeneration is associated with aging. The retina is a soft tissue at the back of the eye that converts light or an image into electrical impulses that are sent to the brain to create an image. There are two types of Macular degeneration wet and dry. Wet macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels behind the retina start to grow under the macula. These new blood vessels tend to be very fragile and often leak blood and fluid. The blood and fluid raise the macula from its normal place at the back of the eye. Damage to the macula occurs rapidly. Dry occurs when the light-sensitive cells in the macula slowly break down, gradually blurring central vision in the affected eye. As dry AMD gets worse, you may see a blurred spot in the center of your vision. Over time, as less of the macula functions, central vision is gradually lost in the affected eye. The most common is dry and it occurs in anyone 65 and older. Macular Degeneration most common in White females, those who have a history of smoking, and obesity also it's pass down in families. Someone with Macular Degeneration would see this
First it's just dots and until it progresses to this stage and eventually there maybe some flashes of lights Macular Degeneration can be detected by eye exams such as visual acuity test, dilated eye exam and tonometry. Treatments are laser eye surgery to destroy the weak leaky blood vessels, Photodymanic therapy is where a drug called Verteporfin is injected into your arm; this drug travels throughout the body, including the new blood vessels in your eye i, it attaches to the vessel once a light is shined into the eye the drug destroys the bad vessels. A third treatment are injections to help regrow the blood vessel but with this treatment multiply injects are required. In 1999, I was part of a parish program where you can adopt a grandparent and the lady that my family adopted began to suffer from Macular Degeneration. She never smoked or drank but her mother had the same condition. She would only recognize you by the sound of your voice or by touch. She use the injections to try to rebuild some of the blood vessel back but Eventually she lost her sight.
First it's just dots and until it progresses to this stage and eventually there maybe some flashes of lights Macular Degeneration can be detected by eye exams such as visual acuity test, dilated eye exam and tonometry. Treatments are laser eye surgery to destroy the weak leaky blood vessels, Photodymanic therapy is where a drug called Verteporfin is injected into your arm; this drug travels throughout the body, including the new blood vessels in your eye i, it attaches to the vessel once a light is shined into the eye the drug destroys the bad vessels. A third treatment are injections to help regrow the blood vessel but with this treatment multiply injects are required. In 1999, I was part of a parish program where you can adopt a grandparent and the lady that my family adopted began to suffer from Macular Degeneration. She never smoked or drank but her mother had the same condition. She would only recognize you by the sound of your voice or by touch. She use the injections to try to rebuild some of the blood vessel back but Eventually she lost her sight.