Our Eye Doctors Serving Patients in Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Area
Macular degeneration is a common age-related eye disease. When left untreated, it is one of the leading causes of blindness in people over the age of 65 in the United States. While no cure has yet been discovered for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), there are currently a number of treatment options for this damaging disease. At Executive Park Eye Care, we will diagnose AMD and recommend the most suitable treatments to prevent your vision loss and progression to blindness. Some approaches have even shown success in helping to improve vision in patients with macular degeneration.
AMD typically runs in families. Once vision loss occurs due to AMD, it cannot usually be restored. However, if the disease is detected at an early stage, many preventive measures may be taken. During your routine yearly eye examinations with our Colorado Springs optometrists, we will inspect your inner eye tissues for any indication of macular degeneration. If signs are noticed, we’ll advise treatment as soon as possible. If vision loss has already occurred, we can also help you maximize your remaining eyesight with the aid of low vision devices.
An open, ongoing relationship between our eye doctors and our patients is critical to the success of treatment for eye disease. If you have been diagnosed with AMD, contact us to schedule a consultation in our Colorado Springs eye care clinic. We encourage you to ask your questions and we’ll discuss the benefits, limitations and risks of various AMD treatments.
Read more about the 2 basic types of Macular Degeneration:
Dry macular degeneration
This form is regarded as the less aggressive type of the disease. Dry AMD progresses at a slower pace and the extent of damage to vision is generally less extreme. Our eye doctors in Colorado Springs can detect signs of dry AMD during a routine comprehensive eye exam. In addition, some people with dry AMD may eventually develop wet AMD, which is the more serious form. Altogether, this underscores the importance of having annual eye examinations performed by a qualified professional! Treatment for dry AMD may include prescribing high doses of antioxidants and zinc. Although more scientific investigation is needed, an encouraging study conducted by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health showed that certain vitamins, such as C, E, zinc, beta-carotene and copper significantly reduced the risk of vision loss in patients with dry AMD.
Wet macular degeneration
The more severe type of AMD, this type occurs due to abnormal blood vessel growth (angiogenesis) and leakage that causes scar tissue to form. One popular treatment is to inject AMD medication directly into the eye to suppress angiogenesis. Laser therapy is also promising, with laser light being used to destroy abnormal blood vessels that are actively growing.
