Macular Degeneration

Aged Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD)

This is the most common causes of visual impairment amongst elderly Australians. It is a disease that affects the part of the retina responsible for central detailed vision named the macular. There are two types of ARMD. They are commonly referred to as wet ARMD and dry ARMD.

The first indication of this painless disease will be the loss of your central vision. You will find that you need more light to do reading and other fine detail tasks.

Indicators that you should have your eyes checked are:

you need more light to read
you have difficulty with other fine detail tasks
your ability to distinguish colours changes
you see an empty area in your central vision
you have a family history of ARMD
if you are over 50 years of age
you smoke

Family history itself will increase your risks of this disease by 50%.

It is preferable to be diagnosed before any damage from Aged Related Macular Degeneration symptoms affects the vision. This can however be difficult as some of the symptoms you may view as age related. You are advised not ignore any changes to your vision however subtle.

Early detection will allow you and Dr Phipps to implement a plan to slow or stabilise the progress of this disease. Medical intervention can be successful in slowing the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the retina which is the cause of the visual loss. Significant progress has been made in the last decade in treating ARMD, particularly the wet type. In many instances intraocular injections with specially developed medicines can protect and sometimes improve vision.

Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) can be managed however it cannot be cured.

You may wish to visit the following sites for further information.