Finally the cause of blurred vision has been identified. Dad has been complaining that he can't see thing clearly and at times he see words gone crooked.
He went to see few doctors but have been told that it was due to stress and tiredness. Most of the time, he will come back with some eye drops only...
With his constant complaints, he was asked to go for eye scan...a normal eye scan and they found a small dot in his right eye...(should be retina area)...and he was referred to Ipoh GH to have further scanning. There is no such machinery in our small town.
There we go! we went to Ipoh yesterday morning and the procedure is called fluorescein angiogram. In this test, a special dye is injected into your arm. Pictures are taken as the dye passes through the blood vessels in your retina. The test allows your eye care professional to identify any leaking blood vessels and recommend treatment.
Based on the test mentioned, dad was confirmed to be diagnosed with Age-related Macular De-generation (AMD).
It is a disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision. Central vision is needed for seeing objects clearly and for common daily tasks such as reading and driving.
AMD affects the macula, the part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail. AMD causes no pain.
In some cases, AMD advances so slowly that people notice little change in their vision. In others, the disease progresses faster and may lead to a loss of vision in both eyes. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older.
Here is a picture of my dad's eye...
He went to see few doctors but have been told that it was due to stress and tiredness. Most of the time, he will come back with some eye drops only...
With his constant complaints, he was asked to go for eye scan...a normal eye scan and they found a small dot in his right eye...(should be retina area)...and he was referred to Ipoh GH to have further scanning. There is no such machinery in our small town.
There we go! we went to Ipoh yesterday morning and the procedure is called fluorescein angiogram. In this test, a special dye is injected into your arm. Pictures are taken as the dye passes through the blood vessels in your retina. The test allows your eye care professional to identify any leaking blood vessels and recommend treatment.
Based on the test mentioned, dad was confirmed to be diagnosed with Age-related Macular De-generation (AMD).
It is a disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision. Central vision is needed for seeing objects clearly and for common daily tasks such as reading and driving.
AMD affects the macula, the part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail. AMD causes no pain.
In some cases, AMD advances so slowly that people notice little change in their vision. In others, the disease progresses faster and may lead to a loss of vision in both eyes. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older.
Here is a picture of my dad's eye...
If I have understand from the doctor's explanation, that is the spot where the additional blood vessels start to grow. And when the blood vessels leak, vision become blur. If it is not treated, the growth and leakeges will continue and causes loss of eye sight.
Fortunately, there are a few choices of treatment for AMD:-
- Laser surgery. This procedure uses a laser to destroy the fragile, leaky blood vessels. A high energy beam of light is aimed directly onto the new blood vessels and destroys them, preventing further loss of vision. However, laser treatment may also destroy some surrounding healthy tissue and some vision. Only a small percentage of people with wet AMD can be treated with laser surgery. Laser surgery is more effective if the leaky blood vessels have developed away from the fovea, the central part of the macula. (See illustration at the beginning of this document.) Laser surgery is performed in a doctor's office or eye clinic.
The risk of new blood vessels developing after laser treatment is high. Repeated treatments may be necessary. In some cases, vision loss may progress despite repeated treatments. - Photodynamic therapy. A drug called verteporfin is injected into your arm. It travels throughout the body, including the new blood vessels in your eye. The drug tends to "stick" to the surface of new blood vessels. Next, a light is shined into your eye for about 90 seconds. The light activates the drug. The activated drug destroys the new blood vessels and leads to a slower rate of vision decline. Unlike laser surgery, this drug does not destroy surrounding healthy tissue. Because the drug is activated by light, you must avoid exposing your skin or eyes to direct sunlight or bright indoor light for five days after treatment. Photodynamic therapy is relatively painless. It takes about 20 minutes and can be performed in a doctor's office. Photodynamic therapy slows the rate of vision loss. It does not stop vision loss or restore vision in eyes already damaged by advanced AMD. Treatment results often are temporary. You may need to be treated again.
- Injections. Wet AMD can now be treated with new drugs that are injected into the eye (anti-VEGF therapy). Abnormally high levels of a specific growth factor occur in eyes with wet AMD and promote the growth of abnormal new blood vessels. This drug treatment blocks the effects of the growth factor.
You will need multiple injections that may be given as often as monthly. The eye is numbed before each injection. After the injection, you will remain in the doctor's office for a while and your eye will be monitored. This drug treatment can help slow down vision loss from AMD and in some cases improve sight.
If you would like to know more about AMD, you can further your reading at the following link:-http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/maculardegen/armd_facts.asp
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