How the disease may progress
Most cases of AMD advance slowly, which will give the person you're caring for some time to adapt. There's no set timeline, however. He may experience advanced vision loss over the course of months or he may never progress to an advanced stage.
If he has wet AMD, though, he may experience a frighteningly rapid loss of central vision. Reassuring him that he won't completely lose his vision will be important.
Symptoms of macular degeneration
Here are some of the symptoms your friend or relative may experience with AMD at various stages:
- Distortion or blank spot in his central field of vision
- Inability to distinguish many colors (because the light cells are responsible for color vision)
- Seeing flashing light or floaters (which may look like dots, strings, spiderwebs, or dust)
- Double vision, which can occur if vision deteriorates faster in one eye than the other
- Visual hallucinations -- known as Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) -- in which he'll see complete objects that aren't there
- Inability to read without magnification
- Inability to recognize faces at any distance
He may lose his ability to drive, and eventually he may be able to see only with his peripheral vision.
Methods of treating macular degeneration
There's no cure for AMD, though a great deal of research is being done. Talk with the doctor about experimental treatments, clinical trials, and the most recent advances in AMD treatment. What may help:
*Nutrition Some studies report that certain nutrients, like lutein, zinc, zeaxanthin, and vitamins C, A, and E can help lower the risk for or slow the progression of AMD.
*Drugs Aimed at slowing wet AMD, most drug therapy is used to stop bleeding or the development of blood vessels. Some drugs are given intravenously, in conjunction with laser treatment, while others are injected into the eye. The use of statins to slow AMD progression is also under research.
*Surgery Some of the surgical possibilities in the works include macular translocation, in which surgeons move the retina to a healthier place in the eye; drusen lasering, in which low-intensity lasers are used to destroy drusen; and retinal cell transplantation, which is being developed to restore sight to the blind but holds promise for AMD patients, too.
Researchers are hard at work on other promising treatments as well, including gene replacement therapy, an implantable telescope the size of a pea, stem cell transplantation, and artificial retina implantation.
Regardless of what other treatment the person you're caring for seeks, you can help by exploring low-vision devices, computer software, and low-vision rehabilitation training. In fact, while many people with AMD won't benefit greatly from medicine or surgery, most can be helped by some sort of assistive technology. Ask his doctor about such aids, which can be of great benefit. To locate them online, search using the keywords low vision aids.
