Senile macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration is one of the most common causes of decreased visual acuity in people over 65 years of age.

The yellow spot or macula represents the center of the fundus of the eye responsible for central vision. The proper function of the macula enables reading, writing, color recognition, and character recognition. For this reason, its damage leads to a significant decrease in the quality of life. Risk factors for developing the disease are the patient’s age, hereditary factor, smoking, obesity and physical inactivity.

There are two forms of age-related yellow spot degeneration – dry and wet.

Dry form is a much more common form of the disease and occurs in about 80% of cases. It is characterized by a milder clinical picture and slower progression. It occurs as a result of a disorder of the function of the pigment layer of the retina, as a result of which there is an accumulation of yellowish deposits in the macula called druze. Multivitamin preparations are recommended in therapy. Over time, the dry form of the disease can turn into a wet form, and for this reason, regular ophthalmological check-ups are necessary. 

The wet form is a far more severe form of age-related macular degeneration and is characterized by the formation of new, pathological blood vessels (choroidal neovascularization) that secrete fluid and blood into a yellow spot, causing severe visual impairment. Over time, if adequate therapy is not carried out, a scar formation occurs in the center of the fundus of the eye, which marks the final stage of the disease. For the wet form of the disease, anti-VEGF therapy is carried out, which is injections that are given into the eye, in order to slow down the further progression of the disease and stabilize the condition. 

The diagnosis of senile degeneration is made on the basis of examination of the fundus of the eye and imaging of the yellow spot with an OCT machine. OCT imaging of the macula allows us to monitor the progression of the disease and the effect of the applied therapy. Regular ophthalmological examinations once a year in all people over the age of fifty have an important preventive role, because early detection of the disease and the implementation of therapy can prevent the development of severe and irreversible visual impairments.