(PreserveMacForte.com) Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye ailment that adversely impacts millions of people in the United States of America annually, reported Florida Today recently, adding that the condition can lead to blindness.
According to the article, people who want to other avoid or treat AMD need to understand the ailment in order to grasp what must be done to reduce the odds either of getting the condition or of having AMD progress.
According to the article, there are two kinds of macular degeneration, the wet type and the dry type. Only about 10% of those who get dry AMD end up getting wet AMD, the more serious of the two types. The article added that the wet kind usually progresses at a faster rate than does the dry form, particularly when treatment is not sought. Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels form and drain blood and other fluids that damage the retina.
According to the article, AMD is, in fact, a retina ailment. The retina is the tissue located towards the rear of the eyes that changes light into an electrical signal that lets the brain know what it sees.
The article added that AMD progression is greater in people who smoke, have hypertension and have diabetes. According to the article, other diseases that result in blood flow decreases can also quicken AMD progression. It is critical that people, therefore, manage these issues with the assistance of their doctors to maximize blood flow and lessen harm to body tissues.
According to the article, avoidance and early recognition is critical to deal with AMD. One way to protect eye health is to pursue genetic testing to ascertain the odds of getting the eye disease.
The article noted that procedures to treat the wet version of AMD have come to the point where there are drugs that can be used to halt leakage and bleeding. Such treatment has helped many patients to experience improved vision and enhanced quality of life.
If wet AMD is diagnosed sooner rather than later, the odds are in the patients’ favor that treatment will result in more vision-loss restoration, noted the article. Going in for regular eye exams is therefore key.