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Wet macular degeneration is a chronic eye disease. It affects the macula, the portion of the eye involved in central vision. You cannot cure this condition but you can slow the progression of symptoms.
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
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