Preventing Vision Loss by Managing Macular Disease
As an experienced provider of comprehensive general ophthalmology care, Dr. Rylan Hayes frequently diagnoses and treats macular degeneration and other macular conditions at the clinic in Maroochydore, Queensland. Injections at our Sunshine Coast area locations are the primary and most common treatment for some macular diseases.
What is macular disease?
These conditions affect the centre focus of the retina (the macula) at the back of the eye. This part of your retina supports detailed central vision, the type of vision that is used for reading, driving, recognising faces, and distinguishing colours. This group of eye conditions causes swelling, bleeding, distortion, and otherwise damages the macula. Macular disease is a leading cause of severe vision loss and blindness in our country, affecting an estimated 1.9 million Australians.
What are the symptoms of macular disease?
Typically, macular conditions are painless. They may gradually or rapidly threaten and steal your sight. Dr. Hayes emphasises the importance of routine exams to monitor conditions and address changes promptly, preventing further or severe damage. It should be noted that different diseases cause distinctive but often overlapping symptoms.
These symptoms include:
- Visual distortions, such as straight lines that appear wavy or bent (metamorphopsia)
- Faded or dull colours
- Dark patches or empty spots (scotoma) in the centre of one’s vision
- Fuzzy or blurry central vision
- Problems reading, watching TV, and engaging in activities that require detailed, central vision (even with the aid of corrective eyewear)
- Difficulty distinguishing faces
What are some of these diseases?
The most common disease of this type is age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD affects one in seven Australians aged 50 and older. It is to blame for half of all blindness and severe vision loss in Australia. AMD is characterised as either “dry” or “wet.” Dry AMD accounts for between 85% and 90% of all cases and progresses much more slowly than wet AMD. Both disrupt the macula’s light-sensitive cells. Only wet AMD causes significant vision impairment quickly, but it is also more likely to be amenable to treatment. Macular oedema is often associated with blood vessel blockages, diabetes, and its complications like diabetic retinopathy (DR). DR damages the retinal blood vessels. A tear or opening in the macula may lead to blurry or wavy central vision. Scar tissue on the macula can also distort vision. Severe nearsightedness may damage the macula. Other generic or inherited macular diseases affect the macula and damage central vision.
How are these conditions treated?
Treatment options depend on the specific condition, type, and stage of the eye disease. While many eye diseases do not have a permanent cure, we can often slow their progression. Based on your diagnosis, we may recommend high-dose nutritional supplements, injections, or surgery to address mechanical issues in certain advanced cases. Additionally, smoking cessation is of paramount importance to improve macular health.
How do injections “work”?
In general, intravitreal injections involve administering medication into the numbed eye with a very fine needle. Since anaesthetic drops are used to numb the eye, treatment is not generally painful, and is much better tolerated than you may inherently imagine. The medication is delivered directly towards the macula, providing targeted therapy. Some medications known as anti-VEGF drugs, for instance, block the VEGF protein that causes blood vessels to form. These vessels damage the macula in conditions like wet AMD. By introducing such drugs, we can decrease fluid and oedema in the macular. This can be an appropriate treatment option to control or even reverse future vision loss among those with swelling caused by conditions, such as diabetic macular oedema, vein occlusion, and wet AMD. Injections are not a “one-and-done” treatment; typically, Dr. Hayes recommends injections every 4-12 weeks (depending on how you respond to treatment).
Vision loss doesn’t have to be in your future!
Request your appointment with Dr. Rylan Hayes – The Vision Surgeon today for your intravitreal injections. Phone 07 4515 6084 to schedule at our convenient Maroochydore, QLD location – at Eye Care Specialists.
