At Mayo Clinic, we take the time to listen, to find answers and to provide you the best care.
Wet macular degeneration is a chronic eye disease that causes vision loss in the center of your field of vision. Wet macular degeneration is generally caused by abnormal blood vessels that leak fluid or blood into the region of the macula (MAK-u-luh). The macula is in the center of the retina (the layer of tissue on the inside back wall of your eyeball).
Wet macular degeneration is one of two types of age-related macular degeneration. The other type — dry macular degeneration — is more common and less severe. Wet macular degeneration almost always begins as dry macular degeneration. It's not clear what causes wet macular degeneration.
Early detection and treatment of wet macular degeneration may help reduce vision loss and, in some instances, improve vision.
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Wet macular degeneration symptoms usually appear and progress rapidly. Symptoms may include:
See your eye doctor if:
These changes may be the first indication of macular degeneration, particularly if you're older than age 50.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
It's not clear what causes wet macular degeneration. The condition almost always develops in people who have had dry macular degeneration. But doctors can't predict who will develop wet macular degeneration, which is more severe and progresses more rapidly than dry macular degeneration.
Wet macular degeneration can develop in different ways:
Vision loss caused by abnormal blood vessel growth. Wet macular degeneration may develop when abnormal new blood vessels grow from the choroid — the layer of blood vessels between the retina and the outer, firm coat of the eye, called the sclera — under and into the macular portion of the retina. This condition is called choroidal neovascularization.
These abnormal vessels may leak fluid or blood between the choroid and macula. The fluid interferes with the retina's function and causes your central vision to blur. In addition, what you see when you look straight ahead becomes wavy or crooked, and blank spots block out part of your field of vision.
Vision loss caused by fluid buildup in the back of the eye. Wet macular degeneration sometimes may develop when fluid leaks from the choroid and collects between the choroid and a thin cell layer, called the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). This may cause retinal pigment epithelium detachment.
The fluid beneath the RPE causes what looks like a blister or a bump under the macula.
Vision loss caused by abnormal blood vessel growth. Wet macular degeneration may develop when abnormal new blood vessels grow from the choroid — the layer of blood vessels between the retina and the outer, firm coat of the eye, called the sclera — under and into the macular portion of the retina. This condition is called choroidal neovascularization.
These abnormal vessels may leak fluid or blood between the choroid and macula. The fluid interferes with the retina's function and causes your central vision to blur. In addition, what you see when you look straight ahead becomes wavy or crooked, and blank spots block out part of your field of vision.
Vision loss caused by fluid buildup in the back of the eye. Wet macular degeneration sometimes may develop when fluid leaks from the choroid and collects between the choroid and a thin cell layer, called the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). This may cause retinal pigment epithelium detachment.
The fluid beneath the RPE causes what looks like a blister or a bump under the macula.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
At Mayo Clinic, we take the time to listen, to find answers and to provide you the best care.
Doctors will review your medical history and family history, and conduct a comprehensive eye exam to diagnose your condition. Doctors may conduct several tests to diagnose wet macular degeneration, including:
A fluorescein angiogram. During an angiogram of your eye, your doctor injects a colored dye into a vein in your arm. The dye travels to the blood vessels in your eye, highlights the blood vessels and will help identify abnormal sites in the blood vessel walls that may be leaking.
A special camera takes several pictures of the blood vessels in your eye as the dye travels through the blood vessels. The images will show if you have blood vessel or retinal abnormalities that may be associated with wet macular degeneration.
A fluorescein angiogram. During an angiogram of your eye, your doctor injects a colored dye into a vein in your arm. The dye travels to the blood vessels in your eye, highlights the blood vessels and will help identify abnormal sites in the blood vessel walls that may be leaking.
A special camera takes several pictures of the blood vessels in your eye as the dye travels through the blood vessels. The images will show if you have blood vessel or retinal abnormalities that may be associated with wet macular degeneration.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
The following measures may help you avoid macular degeneration:
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Macular degeneration doesn't affect your side (peripheral) vision and usually doesn't cause total blindness. But it can diminish or eliminate your central vision - which is important for driving, reading and recognizing people's faces. It may help to work with a low vision rehabilitation specialist, occupational therapist, an eye doctor or others trained in low vision rehabilitation, who can help you find and learn ways to adapt to your changing vision.
To cope with your changing vision you might:
Use magnifiers. A variety of magnifying devices can help you with reading and other close-up work, such as sewing. Magnifying devices may include traditional hand-held magnifying lenses or special magnifying lenses you wear just like glasses.
You may also use a closed-circuit television system that uses a video camera to magnify reading material and project it on a video screen.
Use magnifiers. A variety of magnifying devices can help you with reading and other close-up work, such as sewing. Magnifying devices may include traditional hand-held magnifying lenses or special magnifying lenses you wear just like glasses.
You may also use a closed-circuit television system that uses a video camera to magnify reading material and project it on a video screen.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Factors that may increase your risk of macular degeneration include:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
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