Advanced Retina Care

Wet AMD (also called advanced neovascular AMD), is a less common type of late AMD that usually causes faster vision loss.

Any stage of dry AMD can turn into wet AMD — but wet AMD is always late stage. It happens when abnormal blood vessels grow in the back of the eye and damage the macula.

Diabetic retinopathy can lead to other serious eye conditions:

Diabetic macular edema (DME). Over time, about 1 in 15 people with diabetes will develop DME. DME happens when blood vessels in the retina leak fluid into the macula (a part of the retina needed for sharp, central vision). This causes blurry vision.

Neovascular glaucoma. Diabetic retinopathy can cause abnormal blood vessels to grow out of the retina and block fluid from draining out of the eye. This causes a type of glaucoma (a group of eye diseases that can cause vision loss and blindness).

Retinal detachment. Diabetic retinopathy can cause scars to form in the back of your eye. When the scars pull your retina away from the back of your eye, it’s called tractional retinal detachment.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of central vision loss in people over 50. Pinpointing the exact timeframe when a person’s age-related macular degeneration (AMD) progresses from the slow-developing dry form to the more aggressive wet form is tricky. But it’s essential to preserving vision. 👁

hopkinsmedicine.org/inhealth/research/facts/jhm-precision-medicine-amd

Monday Motivation! ❤️

Struggle with low vision? Learn how to reduce your risk for eye disease. 👁

uknow.uky.edu/uk-healthcare/struggle-low-vision-learn-how-reduce-your-risk-eye-disease

Three eye diseases linked to a higher risk of falls. 👁

health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/three-eye-diseases-linked-to-a-higher-risk-of-falls

Algorithm Aids in Early Detection of Age-Related Eye Disease . 👁

medschool.duke.edu/news/algorithm-aids-early-detection-age-related-eye-disease

Wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a late stage of AMD. It occurs when irregular blood vessels grow in the back of your eye. These blood vessels may leak fluids and cause scarring of your macula. This is the part of your eye that allows you to see things directly in front of you, which is your central vision.

Wet AMD is more severe than the dry form of AMD and may cause more rapid vision loss. Any stage of dry AMD may potentially turn into wet AMD.

You can have diabetic retinopathy and not know it. This is because it often has no symptoms in its early stages. As diabetic retinopathy gets worse, you will notice symptoms such as:

seeing an increasing number of floaters
having blurry vision
having vision that changes sometimes from blurry to clear
seeing blank or dark areas in your field of vision
having poor night vision
noticing colors appear faded or washed out
losing vision

Diabetic retinopathy symptoms usually affect both eyes.

Unlike dry AMD, wet AMD can progress quickly if not treated. Dry AMD typically progresses slowly over a period of many years, and any associated vision loss is gradual.

When it converts to wet AMD, vision loss can occur quickly, within days to weeks. If wet AMD isn’t treated, the central vision will continue to deteriorate rapidly in most cases.

Rates of Diabetic Retinopathy Up Fivefold or More in Some Groups Over Past Decade. 👁

medscape.com/viewarticle/rates-diabetic-retinopathy-fivefold-or-more-some-groups-over-2024a1000c35?form=fpf

Johns Hopkins Medicine Scientists Uncover Molecular Link Between Wet and Dry Macular Degeneration. 👨‍⚕️🧑‍⚕️

hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2023/12/johns-hopkins-medicine-scientists-uncover-molecular-link-between-wet-and-dry-macular-degeneration

The symptoms of AMD depend on the stage. Dry AMD happens in 3 stages: early, intermediate, and late. AMD is a progressive disease — that means symptoms usually get worse over time.

Early dry AMD doesn’t cause any symptoms.

In intermediate dry AMD, some people still have no symptoms. Others may notice mild symptoms, like mild blurriness in their central vision or trouble seeing in low lighting.

In late AMD (wet or dry type), many people notice that straight lines start to look wavy or crooked. You may also notice a blurry area near the center of your vision. Over time, this blurry area may get bigger or you may see blank spots. Colors may also seem less bright than before, and you may have more trouble seeing in low lighting.

Straight lines looking wavy is a warning sign for late AMD. If you notice this symptom, see your eye doctor right away.

There are two stages of diabetic retinopathy:

Nonproliferative retinopathy is the early stage of the disease in which blood vessels swell and leak. In some cases, this can cause macular edema (swelling of the retina) which may result in mild vision loss but can be treated. There can also be early changes to the nerve cells in the retina that may affect vision, in part due loss of adequate blood supply.

Proliferative retinopathy is the advanced stage where abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. These vessels may break and bleed into the vitreous, the clear watery gel that fills the eye, and cause severe vision loss. This stage of diabetic retinopathy typically requires urgent treatment.

Wishing everyone a very safe and Happy Fourth of July from all of us at Advanced Retina Care! 🇺🇸

The Future of Wet AMD Treatments: Ophthalmologists share which emerging therapies for vision loss from retina damage excite them most. 👁

healthcentral.com/slideshow/future-of-wet-amd-treatments

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness the U.S., and research findings reported in JAMA Ophthalmology show that the prevalence is increasing overall and spiking among young people. 👁

managedhealthcareexecutive.com/view/a-worrisome-increase-in-diabetic-retinopathy-prevalence-among-young-adults

Vegetable eye! Rods and Corns! 🤣
Credit to g@endo

Dr. Vivian Kim and Dr. Charles Kim, daughter and father!

When blood pressure is high (a condition called hypertension), the retina may become damaged. Hypertension damages the small blood vessels in the retina, causing their walls to thicken, which decreases the amount of blood that can flow through them. As a result, the blood supply to the retina is reduced. Patches of the retina may become damaged because the blood supply is inadequate.
As hypertensive retinopathy progresses, blood may leak into the retina. These changes lead to a gradual loss of vision, particularly if they affect the macula, the central part of the retina. Even mild hypertension may damage the retinal blood vessels if it goes untreated for years.

1. The tapetum lucidum /təˈpiːtəm/ is a layer of tissue in the eye of many vertebrates. Lying immediately behind the retina it reflects visible light back through the retina, increasing the light available to the photoreceptors, though blurring the initial image of the light on focus. The tapetum lucidum contributes to the superior night vision of some animals.
The tapetum lucidum / t ə ˈ p iː t ə m / (Latin: "bright tapestry; coverlet", plural tapeta lucida) is a layer of tissue in the eye of many vertebrates

Treatments for Wet AMD: Anti-VEGF Therapy
The term "anti" means against and "vascular" refers to blood vessels. Anti-VEGF stands for "anti vascular endothelial growth factor". These drugs work by stopping a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) produced by cells in the retina from working.VEGF is an acronym for vascular endothelial growth factor. Currently, the most common and effective clinical treatment for wet Age-related Macular Degeneration is anti-VEGF therapy – which is periodic intravitreal (into the eye) injection of a chemical called an “anti-VEGF.” In the normal life of the human body, VEGF is a healthy molecule which supports the growth of new blood vessels. In the case of macular health, though, VEGF is unhealthy. It promotes the growth of new, weak blood vessels in the choroid layer behind the retina, and those vessels leak blood, lipids, and serum into the retinal layers. The leakage (hemorrhaging) causes scarring in the retina and kills macular cells, including photoreceptor rods and cones.
An intraocular shot of an anti-VEGF drug inhibits the formation of new blood vessels behind the retina and may keep the retina free of leakage. An injection in the eye can be a disconcerting experience, and it may take several treatments to become accustomed to the procedure. However, the shot is usually not painful because the eye has been anesthetized.

While treatment can slow or stop the progression of diabetic retinopathy, it's not a cure. Because diabetes is a lifelong condition, future retinal damage and vision loss are still possible. Even after treatment for diabetic retinopathy, you'll need regular eye exams. At some point, you might need additional treatment. 👁

Wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) develops when abnormal blood vessels grow into the macula. These leak blood or fluid which leads to scarring of the macula and rapid loss of central vision. Wet AMD can develop very suddenly, but it can now be treated if caught quickly. 👁

In the early stages of diabetic retinopathy, the walls of the blood vessels in your retina weaken. Tiny bulges protrude from the vessel walls, sometimes leaking or oozing fluid and blood into the retina. Tissues in the retina may swell, producing white spots in the retina. 👁

Wishing every body a very Happy Father's Day from our family at Advanced Retina Care to yours! 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

In wet, or neovascular AMD, abnormal blood vessels grow underneath the retina. These vessels lead to bleeding or fluid leakage in the back of your eye, causing vision loss. This process, known as “neovascularization,” is largely driven by a growth factor called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/experimental-gene-therapy-for-wet-age-related-macular-degeneration-offers-promise-for-older-adults/2024/01