Ask an Expert about Macular DegenerationLatest Questions and Answers
My mother, who is 82 years old, has wet macular degeneration; however, she refuses to receive any treatments. Last year, her face swelled and her nose was very itchy. It appears to me that she has an allergy. She told me that she has edema and that she will live with the symptoms. Is it possible that these symptoms are caused from the macular degeneration? [ 05/12/10 ]
Age-related macular degeneration is not related to facial swelling or allergies. Your mother should check with her primary care physician as to the cause of her symptoms, but it is highly unlikely that they are related to her macular degeneration. I have wet macular degeneration in my left eye and the dry form in right eye. Sight in right eye has rapidly deteriorated during the last 6 months. Could the use of amlodipine (a calcium blocker) and quinapril (for high blood pressure) be responsible for this progression? [ 05/03/10 ]
Hypertension has been associated with macular degeneration; however, the impact of individual hypertension medications on the progression of macular degeneration has not been studied. At this point, there is no evidence that high blood pressure medications can worsen macular degeneration. Controlling your blood pressure is important for your overall health, and poorly controlled blood pressure can eventually lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney problems. My 89-year-old mother just had cataract surgery on her left eye. Her right eye was corrected 20 years ago and her vision is 20/40 without glasses. She now has 20/50 vision in the left eye without glasses. The clinic referred her to another doctor within the same company for macular degeneration testing. They took photos of the back of her eye and said that she needs to have at least two injections eye injections. We are both feeling that once she gets her glasses and is not stressed by continuous therapy she will be fine. The photos I saw showed wetness near the retina, but not the macula. What would be the outcome if she chose not to have injections? She is on Medicare with limited income and no additional insurance. Thank you! [ 05/02/10 ]
If your mother has choroidal neovascularization (development of abnormal blood vessels) as a result of macular degeneration, failure to treat them could potentially result in permanent vision loss. The new blood vessels can grow into the macula and leak or result in scarring. Once scarring has occurred, injections will no longer help. Ask her ophthalmologist to describe the risks and benefits of treatment for her particular situation in more detail. I have been told that I have a macular gliosis epiretinal membrane. What is this and is it related to macular degeneration? Should I be doing anything besides visiting my eye doctor each year? [ 05/01/10 ]
An epiretinal membrane is a cellophane-like membrane that forms on the surface of the retina. It can cause wrinkling and swelling of the retina due to traction, which results in decreased vision or distorted vision. There are many causes of epiretinal membranes, including inflammation, posterior vitreous detachment, bleeding in the eye, retinal tears, diabetes, etc. It can be associated with macular degeneration, but does not cause macular degeneration. Your eye doctor will monitor your epiretinal membrane, and if vision worsens, you might be a candidate for retinal surgery (membrane peel and vitrectomy). My husband has wet macular degeneration. Should he avoid lifting or bending? [ 04/30/10 ]
There is no strong evidence that lifting or bending can accelerate or worsen wet macular degeneration. However, the abnormal blood vessels that are hallmarks of this form of the disease do tend to bleed more easily than normal blood vessels. You should ask your retina doctor about your husband's specific case. I have been taking the soft gel form of PreserVision for more than 5 years. It has 14,320 IU of vitamin A per capsule and I take two each day. My multivitamin contains 10,000 IU of vitamin A per tablet, and I take one each day. I have read that too much vitamin A can be harmful. What is "too much" vitamin A and am I taking more than I should? At this time, I have had no adverse reactions but I do have deep concerns. [ 04/28/10 ]
Your daily dose of vitamin A exceeds the US recommended daily allowance, but most vitamin supplements exceed that dose. The acute toxic dose for vitamin A is 25,000 IU per kilogram of body weight. Assuming one weighs 70 kilograms (154 pounds) that would equal 1,750,000 IU in one dose. The chronic toxic dose for vitamin A is 4000 IU/kilogram of body weight daily for several months. That would be 280,000 IU per day for a 70 kilogram person. Even if you weighed less than 70 kilograms, your daily dose should not exceed the chronic toxic dose for vitamin A. Also, the vitamin A in PreserVision is in the form of beta-carotene, which is not converted to vitamin A quickly enough to cause acute toxicity. Does decaffeinated green tea have the ability to help dry macular degeneration? I cannot tolerate the level of caffeine in regular green tea. [ 04/23/10 ]
I cannot comment for certain on whether or not decaffeinated green tea has the ability to help dry macular degeneration as I have found no published scientific reports to support this. Further research is also needed to determine if the compounds in caffeinated green tea are beneficial with regard to disorders such as macular degeneration. A recent study simply found evidence that catechins, potentially protective compounds found in green tea, are absorbed by tissues in the eye (such as the retina). The study did not investigate whether or not the catechins had an impact on the disease process or offered protection against the development of the disease. Is there any research indicating whether estrogen supplementation can delay dry age-related macular degeneration in women? [ 04/21/10 ]
There are some scientific reports that suggest estrogen supplementation in post-menopausal women may delay the onset/progression of macular degeneration. One particular report comments that estrogen supplementation may delay neovascular or “wet” macular degeneration, but not early macular degeneration, so it is not clear whether any potential benefit obtained from supplementation with estrogen may be specific for delaying the dry form of the disease. There are researchers, however, who are continuing to study the possible link between estrogen therapy and risk of macular degeneration. To find scientific reports concerning the studies that have already been published on this subject, please visit the database for the National Institutes of Health and type “macular degeneration and estrogen” in the search bar. Search for a Question
Disclaimer: The information provided in this section is a public service of the American Health Assistance Foundation, and should not in any way substitute for the advice of a qualified healthcare professional and is not intended to constitute medical advice. Although we take efforts to keep the medical information on our website updated, we cannot guarantee that the information on our website reflects the most up-to-date research. Please consult your physician for personalized medical advice; all medications and supplements should only be taken under medical supervision. The American Health Assistance Foundation does not endorse any medical product or therapy. Some of the content in this section is adapted from other sources, which are clearly identified within each individual item of information. Last Reviewed On: 07/28/10 |
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