Macular degeneration is a disease of the eye associated with age and is the reason that often referred to as age-related macular or AMD. The final phase of the condition associated with vision loss and is the leading cause of legal blindness in the western world in people over 50 years.

What are the forms of AMD?

dry Form

The dry form of AMD is the most common (80-90% of cases) and less dangerous form AMD. For reasons not yet known whether the long-term existence Drusen can lead to atrophy of the macula.

This results in “gaps” or scotoma in the central vision. Although there are no drug or surgical treatments for this form of AMD, visual aids, such as magnifiers can help these people to exploit their peripheral vision and better manage their daily lives. The symptoms of dry form is gradually reduced vision, dyschromatopsia and central scotoma.

Liquid form

The wet form of AMD is so named because it is characterized by the development of pathological neovasculature (choroidal neovascularization) beneath the macula. The new vessels are generally poor and brittle, resulting in a liquid and blood leakage. This leakage creates lesions, which destroy nerve photosensitive cells of the macula and have as an end result in the loss of central vision. Symptoms of the liquid is abruptly reduced vision, and paramorfopsia.

What is a suitable treatment;
Primary task is to eliminate as far as possible, the factors that promote the disease. We should not smoke, thoroughly regulate our blood pressure, avoid our exposure to ultraviolet radiation using sunglasses and hat glasses and often we look our eyes. Especially people who have relatives with AMD should regularly visit their eye doctor, stating the problem of AMD faced by their relatives.

Nutrition should minimize alcohol consumption, eating mainly fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants and carotenoids and avoid fats. If necessary, the ophthalmologist will prescribe special vitamins with antioxidants, carotenoids, lutein, minerals etc. and enhancement of microcirculation.

Then all the modern techniques available to treat specific disease, such as:

1. Early diagnosis, “mapping” and monitoring of the fault (digital angiography fluorescein / indocyanine, spectral OCT).
2. therapy applications: laser argon, photodynamic therapy with Visudyne, intraocular drug therapy (administration antiongeiogenetikon agents and drugs), combination therapies, surgical therapies-retinal translocation, ypamfivlistroeidikou hematoma displacement.
3. application of low vision aids to maximize patient vision.