Science & Research

There is a large amount of research being conducted to develop new therapeutic strategies for treating macular degeneration. In fact, some researchers are exploring the possible use of retinal transplants to create function in the macula. Preliminary results from these studies appear to be promising. While one cannot predict definitively the likelihood that the unaffected eye will also develop macular degeneration, the fact that one eye is affected increases the risk that the problem will also occur in the other eye.

The conjunctiva, the clear layer over the white wall of the eye, contains many blood vessels that are fragile. These are the same blood vessels that bleed when you strain or cough, or even rub your eye vigorously. The red "splotch" on your eye is likely a subconjunctival hemorrhage, essentially a small bruise under the conjunctiva. It will fade within a week or so, and is not an uncommon side effect of the injection. It should not be painful. If you have increasing eye redness with eye pain or floaters, those could be signs of intraocular infection related to the injection and you should see your eye doctor immediately for a complete exam.

Stress or tension has not been clearly linked to bleeding from choroidal neovascularization (the formation of abnormal blood vessels that occurs with wet macular degeneration). The intravitreal injection that your friend is receiving every 4 months is likely an anti-VEGF medication that causes regression of these abnormal blood vessels. It is possible that your friend needs injections more frequently than every 4 months in order to prevent further bleeding.

Usually, the YAG laser procedure is performed after cataract surgery when lens fibers grow along the capsule that contains the lens implant. The procedure is only performed when the patient's vision is affected by this opacity.

It is possible that the ophthalmologist did not have a clear view of the retina prior to performing this procedure, and thus was unable to diagnose macular degeneration. Essentially, it is as if the patient is looking out through a dirty window (the cataract), and the doctor looking into the patient's eye is also looking through the same dirty window.

It would probably be best if you waited until your shingles outbreak resolved before you had any type of laser procedure performed on your eye. Reactivation of the herpes zoster virus around the eye can often be associated with intraocular involvement (lesions on the cornea, and intraocular inflammation). These can be exacerbated by the laser procedure and by the use of corneal contact lenses which are often used to perform the laser procedure.

After searching the National Institute of Health's PubMed database and other available sources, I found no scientific evidence supporting a correlation between macular degeneration and excessive sleep. Also, I did not find any relationship between excessive sleepiness and the AREDS vitamin formulation prescribed for the disease. If you are experiencing excessive sleepiness and feel that it may be related to the use of these vitamins, you should see your physician. Alternately, the excessive sleepiness could be related to some other underlying issue that you may not be aware of, so a visit to your doctor to discuss this is highly recommended in either case.

The recommended vitamin supplementation for patients with high-risk dry macular degeneration is detailed by the AREDS study: 500 milligrams of vitamin C; 400 International Units of vitamin E; 15 milligrams of beta-carotene (often labeled as equivalent to 25,000 International Units of vitamin A); 80 milligrams of zinc as zinc oxide; and two milligrams of copper as cupric oxide. There are formulations on the market which contain these vitamins in the recommended quantity; however, you should always check with your eye doctor concerning his/her specific supplementation recommendations to ensure that there is no conflict with any other prescribed medications or conditions you may have. For example, there is a slightly different formulation for smokers.

Although the answer to your question has not been directly studied, vitamins in moderation are unlikely to be harmful. For example, you probably already take in the above quantities of vitamins E and C from your normal diet. Some vitamins, however, (e.g., vitamin A) can actually cause toxicity in if large amounts are taken. It is recommended that patients discuss supplementation with their doctor(s) to ensure that there is no conflict with any other prescribed medications or conditions they may have.