Macular Degeneration
Doctors Near Austin, TX
Macular Degeneration Doctors near Austin, TX
The macular degeneration doctors here at Bristol Family Eyecare regularly provide personalized, attentive care for this troubling condition. We take full advantage of the retinal technology in our practice: our OPTOS® ultra-widefield retinal camera, optical coherence tomography, and a microscope. These all assist us catching and managing macular degeneration so that our patients maintain their vision and quality of life.
What is Macular Degeneration?
The retina is a thin wall of tissue that lines the back of your eye. It translates light into electrical signals that allow the brain to interpret the images that you see. This is what gives us sight! The point in the center of the retina is called the macula, and it’s largely responsible for our central vision.
Macular degeneration — often called “AMD” (age-related macular degeneration) — is an eye disease in which the macula degrades, and central vision becomes warped, damaged, or lost. The resulting vision loss is irreversible, which is why early detection and management is key to combatting this eye disease.
The Types of AMD
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) comes in two forms:
Dry AMD accounts for nearly 90% of cases. The macula thins and fails slowly over a long time, and its first noticeable symptoms can be permanent, including blurry vision, difficulty seeing in low light or at night, and central vision loss.
Wet AMD is more rapid and dangerous in its onset. Weak blood vessels in the retina leak or burst, causing damage to the macula. People with wet AMD may experience sudden headaches, eye pain, “spots” in their field of vision, visual distortion, and vision loss.
Unfortunately, dry AMD won’t show any obvious symptoms until irreversible damage is done, and wet AMD can be difficult to treat in time if you’re not prepared for the possibility. If you notice any of the above symptoms, you should schedule an eye exam immediately.
Macular Degeneration
Risk Factors
There’s no known single cause of macular degeneration, but we do know a variety of factors that make a patient more likely to develop it. These include:
- Being over age 50
- A family history of macular degeneration
- Being Caucasian
- Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke
- Exposing your eyes to the sun often
- Obesity, lack of exercise, and/or poor diet
Making lifestyle changes, quitting smoking, and protecting your eyes in the sun can all go a long way toward staving off macular degeneration. However, there’s no surefire way to prevent macular degeneration. That’s why you should see your eye doctor for an annual exam, and learn if you might be at risk — early detection puts you in the best position to catch macular degeneration early and put a stop to it.
How We Treat & Manage Macular Degeneration
In cases of AMD, our goal at Bristol Family Eyecare is to start managing it as early as possible to prevent serious vision loss from the disease.
The first step is catching it early. We use some of the latest imaging and diagnostic technology to look at your retina for possible early warning signs of macular degeneration, such as our OPTOS® ultra-widefield retinal camera, which gives us some of the most detailed images of your retina possible.
Macular Health Supplements
Studies have shown that eye vitamins can help slow the progression of macular degeneration.
For patients with a family history of AMD or other risk factors, we generally recommend the EyePromise Zeaxanthin + Lutein, which can help stop AMD from developing. Zeaxanthin and lutein are antioxidants that help fortify the macula, keeping it from degrading over time.
Patients diagnosed with AMD are prescribed the EyePromise AREDS 2 ocular supplement, which has a variety of nutrients found by the groundbreaking AREDS 2 study to be crucial to eye health and macular function. This precise formulation can help slow or halt the progression of macular degeneration.
Macular Degeneration Doctors
at Bristol Family Eyecare
You’ll receive the full attention of Austin’s finest eye doctors when you come to Bristol Family Eyecare. Between the incredible technology used to catch eye diseases as early as possible, the expertise of your eye doctor in managing your case, or the assistance from our compassionate technicians and staff, every part of what we do is done with the goal to enrich your life through eye care.
Our doctors will take the time to understand your case and provide you with just the right treatment for you. For more information, [book an appointment] at Bristol Family Eyecare today!
