Contents:
Medical Video: Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Current Treatments and Future Therapies
Definition
What is age related macular degeneration?
Age-related macular degeneration, aka age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is known as the main cause of blindness in the United States. This disease is characterized by general symptoms, such as blurred vision, distorted images, and difficulty adapting to poor lighting conditions.
ARMD (dry and wet macular degeneration) is caused by various factors such as environmental factors (smoking), heredity (gender, race) and protection factors (antioxidants). The study found that at least two forms of disease genes (Y402H and A69S) were associated with an increased risk of macular degeneration. If someone has both mutant genes containing Y402H and A69S, they will tend to experience macular degeneration more than 60 times. This amount is certainly not a small amount. This makes ARMD familiar in the midst of society.
Information about ARMD may be useful for patients who will undergo a physical examination before making a treatment decision. This information also emphasizes the positive effects of avoiding cigarettes and living a healthy lifestyle. In some cases, information from genes can support physical examination.
When should I have age-related macular degeneration?
This test is done for:
- estimate the risk of developing an illness
- diagnose symptoms of macular degeneration
Symptoms of macular degeneration include:
- unable to read books with little light intensity
- can't see clearly when the light is lacking, for example a restaurant with dim lights
- when reading a book, the words in the book appear blurred
- difficulty in seeing and recognizing someone's face
Prevention & warning
What should I know before undergoing age-related macular degeneration?
In addition to this test, the doctor may suggest other tests to find risk factors for the disease, for example:
- eye test: the doctor will give a few drops of homatropine hydrobomide to the patient's eye. Then using special glasses, the doctor will look at the back of the eye and check for yellow spots under the retina as a sign of retinal degeneration.
- examine the patient's eyesight
- using the help of optical coherence tomography. This test helps doctors to detect blood vessel disorders that are usually associated with wet type macular degeneration
Pay attention to warnings and precautions before undergoing this treatment. If you have questions, please consult a doctor for further information and instructions.
Process
What should I do before I undergo age-related macular degeneration?
There is no special preparation before undergoing this test. However, your doctor may check your health condition first. Consult your doctor about certain preparations before undergoing the test.
You are recommended to use short-sleeved clothing to make it easier to take blood samples from your hands.
What is the age-related macular degeneration process?
The medical personnel who are in charge of taking your blood will take the following steps:
- wrap an elastic belt around your upper arm to stop the blood flow. This makes the blood vessels under the bond enlarge making it easier to inject needles into the vessels
- clean the part to be injected with alcohol
- inject a needle into a vein. More than one needle may be needed.
- attach the tube to the syringe to fill it with blood
- remove the ties from your arms when taking blood is enough
- attach gauze or cotton to the injected part, after the injection is finished
- put pressure on the part and then put on a bandage
What should I do after undergoing age-related macular degeneration?
Some people may feel pain when a syringe is inserted into the skin. But for most people, the pain will gradually disappear when the needle is right in the vein. Generally, the level of pain experienced depends on the expertise of the nurse, the condition of the arteries, and a person's sensitivity to pain.
After going through the process of taking blood, wrap your hands in a bandage. Press the vein slowly to stop bleeding. After doing the test, you can do activities as usual.
If you have questions about the test process, please consult a doctor for further instructions
Explanation of Test Results
What do the test results mean?
The normal range for each test may vary depending on the laboratory you choose. Usually, the normal range will be written on the test paper. Discuss with our doctor or health professional before the test and after receiving the test results for accurate results.
Normal
No mutations were found
Abnormal
There is an increased risk of ARMD
The results of this test will be combined with the results of other tests including physical tests. You can discuss directly with your doctor before and after getting the test results for a more accurate diagnosis.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
