Age-related macular degeneration: its types and treatment

According to conservative estimates, involuntary central chorioretinal dystrophy( senile macular degeneration) affects more than twenty million people, many of whom do not even suspect the existence of a problem.

The disease always represents a bilateral defeat, but usually begins on one side, and after a few years, the second eye also becomes involved. At present, it was possible to identify the main factors that contribute to the development of the disease:

• Senior age group;
• Weighed down by heredity;
• Propensity to hypertensive states;
• Increased blood lipids;
• Defective or abnormal diet with a deficiency of zinc, carotenoids, vitamins E and C;
• The presence of cytomegalovirus often leads to the development of wet macular degeneration;
• Harmful habits, especially smoking;
• Light color of eyes - gray, blue.

In general, the severity of the disease is that patients can not fully navigate in space, write, read. From this there is uncertainty and discomfort.

Dystrophy begins with the deposition of a special pigment in the area of ​​the yellow spot that is located in the central part of the retina. The yellow spot has another name - the macula, and the degenerative processes occurring in it are called macular degeneration.

In the healthy eye, the main part of the yellow spot does not contain blood vessels, they are located only in the lower part. The central part of the macula is very rich in special sensitive cells - cones, which are responsible for vision in color and detail. So it is in the center of the macula that deposition and accumulation of pigment occurs, as a result - vision is sharply reduced.

How does macular degeneration occur

Macular degeneration can occur in two forms:

1. Dry or non-exacerbative, atrophic form - recorded in every tenth patient.
2. Wet, exudative form is the most frequent form of macular degeneration.

With dry macular atrophy, the process is characterized by slow development, often it has a one-sided nature and only after a long period of time the second eye is involved. Quite often, patients do not make any complaints, or they note the distortion of straight lines. When examining the fundus in the region of the yellow spot, pigment accumulations are seen in the form of yellow-brown lumps. Such a process can be stabilized.

The greatest danger is represented by wet macular degeneration of the retina, this is due to a two-sided process and increased proliferation( growth) of vessels in the direction of the center of the yellow spot.

Vessels do not have a full structure, are very brittle and are prone to spontaneous ruptures, as a result of which hemorrhages to the yellow spot and, consequently, a gradual detachment of the retina are often observed. This process is extremely difficult to stop and usually leads to a significant decrease in the quality of life.

The exudative form proceeds in four stages, at the last stage only operative measures that can slightly improve visual acuity are possible.

• The 1st stage is characterized by preserved visual acuity, but it is possible to have weak hypermetropia( farsightedness) or astigmatism( defocusing of eyesight), sometimes there are complaints of blurred vision or a semitransparent spot right in front of the eyes, which interferes with the detailed examination of objects.
• 2nd stage - decreased vision below 0.8, and the remaining complaints are the same as in the first stage. Changes are noticeable only when examining the fundus.
• Stage 3 - significant loss of vision, acuity is no more than 0.5, and sometimes decreases to 0.1-0.2.The patient can neither read nor write, is poorly oriented in space. With ophthalmoscopy in the eye, you can see multiple hemorrhages in the area of ​​the yellow spot, under the retina and vitreous body.
• Stage 4 - the final phase, when the retina is reborn and contains altered vessels and cysts that have germinated into the vitreous. Visual acuity is extremely low.

Treatment of age-related macular degeneration of the retina

Treatment of age-related macular degeneration can be carried out in several directions - medicamentous, surgical and minimally invasive.

Drug treatment is possible with non-exsudative form of the disease. In this case, drugs that reduce the processes of thrombus formation are prescribed, such as Absiximab, Aspirin, Bifrin, Trombo-ACC, Clopidogrel, Tirofiban, and vasodilators-Sermion, Stugeron, Cavinton, Trental.

Among modern methods of dry form treatment, laser photocoagulation and stimulation are often used, thus inhibiting the progression of the disease. However, after such an effect, visual acuity may decrease. It is also proposed to use subconjunctival injections of a-interferon and low-intensity ionizing radiation, which is aimed at removing the yellowish film on the macula. However, these innovative methods are not yet fully understood and therefore not widely disseminated.

Many ophthalmologists believe that adding microzed zinc to food will help delay the progression of the disease. In addition, it is recommended to use antioxidants, for example, Okuvite, it can slow the decrease in visual acuity and slow the progression of the disease. Take it on a tablet twice a day.

If age-related macular degeneration of the retina by wet type has developed, then only surgery can help, and it can not be delayed with it - the later the treatment is started, the less the chance to save the vision. But in the beginning, nevertheless, doctors try to resort to medications, and only with their inefficiency go to surgical measures.

Drug treatment is aimed at preventing further vascular growth - intraocular injections of ranibizumab or bevacizumab. Intraocular injections are usually done at the beginning with ranibizumab - 5 procedures, but if they do not start the reverse process of developing the symptoms, then go to bevacizumab. This is due to the large toxicity of the drug and a fairly extensive list of contraindications to its use. Sometimes medication is combined with photodynamic therapy.

Surgical methods are used if the visual acuity has not dropped below 0.2.In this case, all operations are aimed at improving the blood supply to the posterior parts of the eye - they perform revascularization or vasoreconstruction - restore the destroyed vessels, it is also possible to remove the newly formed vessels and cysts.