Causes

Wet macular degeneration occurs when blood vessels grow under the macula and leak blood and other fluids into the eye. This leakage leads to waste buildup, which interferes with nutrient delivery; this causes the macula to break down.

Symptoms

Symptoms include a blind or blurry spot in central vision; distorted vision where things appear farther away or smaller than normal and colors appear less bright; loss of central vision; straight lines that look wavy; and seeing things that are not really there.

Risk Factors

Risk factors include being 60 or over, being female, being Caucasian, having light-colored eyes, family history, smoking, low blood levels of antioxidants, high cholesterol, having heart disease, being overweight, and prolonged exposure to sunlight.

Complications

Severe forms of wet age-related macular degeneration can lead to legal blindness. It can also cause a detached or scarred retina.

Treatments

Treatments include surgical and laser procedures to destroy abnormal blood vessels, medications to halt blood vessel growth and optical devices. A combination of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, beta-carotene, zinc and copper can slow progression according to Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends Ocuvite PreserVision, which combines these nutrients in their proper dosages.

Source:

The University of Maryland Medical Center: Macular Degeneration

The Mayo Clinic: Wet Macular Degeneration