By Woraporn Chaikijmongkol, M.D. / Assoc. Prof. Direk Phatikulsila, M.D.
AMD sickness Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease that affects people over 50 years of age. And is the cause of blindness in patients from a survey by the World Health Organization year. 2009 AMD was the fourth leading cause of blindness in the world population It was found secondary to cataracts. uncorrected refractive error and glaucoma, respectively.
Normal people when looking at things around them will see clear images without shadows to obscure any part of the image, but patients with AMD. When looking at anything, you will find that there is a shadow. Always cover the center of the image. Some patients may experience See the distorted image first. Then there will be shadows obscuring the image later. The cause of this disease is caused by the macula of the retina, which helps to see Center Something went wrong by division of fault There are usually 2 types, dry (Dry AMD) and wet (Wet AMD).
( Dry AMD): is the type that can be found common in the elderly The retina will deteriorate and become thinner. Resulting in slowly deteriorating vision Mostly it's not necessary. need treatment This type of dry AMD can be.develop into a wet type
( Wet AMD): Less common The dry type, but the more severe type, can cause vision so poor that it can lead to blurry vision or even blindness. In this type of wet AMD, abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina, causing hemorrhage or scarring in the retina, resulting in the patient seeing a dark shadow in the center of the imageto see
Although wet AMD has a rapid progression, But if diagnosed in the early stages, most will be able to control the disease from spreading. by being able to maintain visibility and some patients may have can see better
However, current medical advances still unable to treat patients with Can see from severe AMD to be able to see as clearly as a normal person Unlike cataracts that can cataract surgery and artificial lens implantation This allows the patient to return to normal vision again. In addition, disease A MD can also occur in both eyes. It may happen to one eye first without the patient noticing because he has one eye. The other eye replaces the vision. Most patients often come to the doctor when the disease has already developed in the second eye and therefore it is too late to treat the first eye.
For this reason, Self-observation and surveillance of AMD helps patients to find abnormalities and visit an ophthalmologist early This will give better treatment results than detected when the disease has spread.
How to self-check AMD for preliminary? Amsler table (Amsler Grid) seen below. Follow these steps:
1. Cover your left eye with your hand. Hold the Amsler table at reading distance, about 1 foot from your eyes (wear eyeglasses, reading glasses, or contact lenses as usual)
2. Use your right eye to look at the small black dot in the center of the picture. Try to focus on this point all the time.
3. Notice if any parts of the table are distorted. Or are there shadows? If so, you may be experiencing early symptoms of AMD. Seek an eye doctor immediately.
4. Left eye test by covering the right eye and follow the above steps again.
**This test is even useful for testing faults. primary eye normal but cannot be used as a substitute Annual eye exams by an ophthalmologist, especially in people aged 50 and over.
**You can print this Amsler table. and put it on the wall of the room for testing daily vision
Method of treatment: Current treatments for wet AMD include laser irradiation, photodynamic therapy, and photodynamic therapy. and injection of Anti-VEGF into the vitreous, etc., will be considered by an ophthalmologist and recommend appropriate treatment guidelines for each patient
Protection
1. Wear sunglasses when outdoors for a long time.
2. Should eat foods such as green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits and fish foods. by avoiding foodtype of fat
3. Should stop smoking.
4. You should exercise. control weight and blood pressure
Taking vitamin supplements may help prevent or slow down the severity of AMD, but it should be done. consult an ophthalmologist Because eating for a long time may cause side effects. If symptoms of AMD are suspected, see an ophthalmologist for a thorough retinal dilatation examination. which this inspection process will result Let your eyes dim temporarily. Unable to read or drive for about 4-6 hours before returning to normal, should take relatives or close people to the hospital as well to help take care of you while traveling home
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