The retina lines the back of the eye and plays an important part in passing visual information to the brain. An area of the retina, called the macula, helps provide clear central vision, the vision used for reading and looking at faces. Wet macular degeneration causes central vision to blur, and many sufferers lose this vision permanently, even with treatment. Understanding this condition may help prevent devastating vision loss from wet macular degeneration.
Bleeding
Wet macular degeneration has one cause: bleeding under the macula. The bleeding may result when new, abnormal blood vessels grow under the macula. These fragile vessels will often leak, causing fluid to build up under the macula, lifting this sensitive tissue away from the back of the eye. Bleeding may also result from leaking blood vessels that do not have abnormal growth properties.
Doctors know that the excess fluid under the macula causes wet macular degeneration, but they do not know the cause for these changes, says MayoClinic.com. As such, a person should know the risk factors in order to take any necessary steps to prevent wet macular degeneration.
Risk Factors
Adults over age 60 have a greater risk for macular degeneration than younger adults, says the National Eye Institute. Women and people with a family history of macular degeneration have a higher risk as well.
Lifestyle choices may affect macular degeneration. Maintaining a healthy weight and active lifestyle may help reduce the risk for the disease. A person should stop smoking to reduce risks further. A healthful diet, rich in dark green vegetable such as spinach, kale, collard greens and chard, may have a significant impact in reducing the likelihood of macular degeneration.
Treatments
Once wet macular degeneration occurs, doctors can treat the condition, but they do not have a cure for the disease. Many people have permanent, life-changing vision loss due to macular degeneration. However, if a patient seeks immediate treatment, depending on the extent of the damage, it may improve vision to some degree. Treatments may include medication injected into the eye to slow the growth of abnormal vessels and bleeding, says the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center. An eye doctor may also recommend light therapy, a process where the doctor gives the patient medication that will pass through the blood vessels in the eye, and special lights interact with the medication; this may help reduce bleeding and blood vessel growth.
