Dry VS Wet Macular Degeneration - Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Explained

⚡ Show Notes and Resources ⚡

Age related macular degeneration is a major cause of blindness and since February is Macular Degeneration awareness month, I wanted to share some information about it.

Age related macular degeneration or “AMD” or “ARMD” is an eye disease that affects the retina in the back of the eye. It is where the area of the retina that is most responsible for critical, high definition vision, called the macula, begins to degenerate.

As the name implies, age-related macular degeneration is “age related” and chances of developing the disease increases from the age of about 50+.

There are two forms of the disease. There is Wet age related macular degeneration and there is dry age related macular degeneration.

Dry macular degeneration is often characterized by the presence of small protein growths within the retina called drusen. As drusen builds up, the retina begins to atrophy and form what is called geographic atrophy. People with dry AMD often experience blurred vision and even loss of central vision in the end stage of the disease.

Vision loss from wet macular degeneration is usually more severe and occurs more rapidly than the dry form. Wet macular degeneration is when new blood vessels from the choroid (a thin meshwork of blood vessels and tissue behind the retina) grow into the retina and leak blood and fluid. This leakage of fluid causes swelling and distortion to the retina and can lead to permanent vision loss.

Age Related Macular Degeneration Symptoms
1. Night Blindness
2. Blurred Vision
3. Distorted Vision
4. Loss of vision

⚡ Few quick tips to reduce your chances of getting ARMD ⚡
1. Eating healthy diets rich in green leafy vegetables and consuming oily fish twice a week has shown in studies to reduce the risk of macular degeneration.
2. Eye vitamin supplements have shown to reduce the advancement of the disease for people with intermediate or advanced stages of the disease. *best ask your doctor if they recommend these for you.
👉 My favorite Eye Vitamins (Save $1 with this link)

3. Don’t Smoke. Cigarette smoking is strongly associated with increased risk of AMD

🔴QOTD: Do you have age related macular degeneration? Does it run in your family? What other questions do you have about ARMD?

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Photos:
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About This Video:
What is macular degeneration or AMD? In this video, Dr. Joseph J. Allen, OD FAAO reviews macular degeneration, both dry macular degeneration and wet macular degeneration. He also goes over age related macular degeneration treatment options. If you or a family member have been diagnosed with age related macular degeneration then you will want to check out this video.

MEDICAL ADVICE DISCLAIMER: All content in this video and description including infor­ma­tion, opinions, con­tent, ref­er­ences, and links is for infor­ma­tional pur­poses only. The Author does not pro­vide any med­ical advice on the Site. Access­ing, viewing, read­ing, or oth­er­wise using this content does NOT cre­ate a physician-patient rela­tion­ship between you and its author. Pro­vid­ing per­sonal or med­ical infor­ma­tion to the Principal author does not cre­ate a physician-patient rela­tion­ship between you and the Principal author or authors. Noth­ing con­tained in this video or its description is intended to estab­lish a physician-patient rela­tion­ship, to replace the ser­vices of a trained physi­cian or health care pro­fes­sional, or oth­er­wise to be a sub­sti­tute for pro­fes­sional med­ical advice, diag­no­sis, or treatment. You should con­sult a licensed physi­cian or appropriately-credentialed health care worker in your com­mu­nity in all mat­ters relat­ing to your health.

[DoctorEyeHealth]

Eye Health QOTD: Do you have AMD or does it run in your family? What other questions about AMD can I help with?

[Vandymas]

Eye health is so important. My mom has been getting shots for so long. I can see where I’m headed. With her most recent shot she got a horrible infection and was on so many medications to fight that infection. She almost went blind. Here in the Midwest, the clinic is completely overwhelmed with patients needing shots for various eye diseases. The optometrist doctors/surgeons are in high demand.

[alysonteer]

You seriously are so easy to understand. I also appreciate the fact that you do not ramble on and on with the introductions and annoying lame blabbing. Straight to the point and very informative.

[tinyandtattooed]

I have early onset dry AMD at 29. I went for a regular eye test, she saw some discolouration. She sent me to an a specialist, and that specialist sent me to a retinal specialist. I have to test my eyes daily. Right now my glasses do help correct my vision, but without my glasses if I look in the mirror, I have a black spot where my nose is haha it scared me at first! It is scary thought, but I just keep doing research and learning more. You explained a lot more than my retinal specialist did. I didn't really get much info from anyone I saw. I learnt a lot of it on my own

[pattiecake]

I was diagnosed with wet AMD a few months ago. I’m getting shots every 4 weeks, now every 6 weeks. My doctor has seen an improvement every visit so far.
I have to travel 55 miles to get there.
He’s very positive I will continue to improve or stabilize.
I take the areds twice a day and eat a lot of greens and nuts and fish.
My grandmother and an aunt and uncle had it.
I’m only 73 and want to enjoy the rest of my life with good vision.

I’m trying hard to be positive.





I’m only 73 and want to enjoy the rest of my life with good vision

[hibakomar]

Wow I’ve nvr gotten lost in someone’s eyes before..cant even concentrate. What beautiful eyes he has.

[eiramn]

Thank you for talking about this subject! I did a 23andme test and it said that I had a genetic variant for AMD and I got really scared. I will definitely use these tips.

[crazycuzntx]

I have dry macular and cataracts. I’m so glad that I found your channel cause you helped explain it better for me than my doctor did. 👍 And I do eat lots of veggies and take special eye vitamins.

[Dustin_Platt]

As an Optical owner I'm incredibly jealous of your practice. So clean and modern.

[ghabdelgh]

Yeah i have it when i was 15yo, and now i have 18 yo, I'm happy because I know my eye problem but I am fair if that's impossible to return my normal like when I was a kid, god bless us ❤😢, I gonna see the doctor soon I can

[mrinmoyroy]

My father has never smoked and regularly has done eye exercises for the last 20 years, but he has been recently diagnosed with AMD. His age is 58. I think at the end of the day, it's all luck!!

[_Balanced_]

This is the best video on youtube about this subject. Great break down, very clear and concise.

[marjoriedonnett]

My mother had macular degeneration and lost much of her sight. I have glaucoma in one eye and this is being well managed. I eat a Mediterranean diet and just love it!

[Rocksite]

I let my mom see yer vid on dry eye, and she thought you talked entirely too fast; tho it doesn't bother me. I appreciate that you give lots of info on a layman's level, unlike some medical vids that just have, "See your dr." for the treatments part.

[Amandaklint]

Just came across this video and it was so much more informative than anything I learned in nursing school! My grandfather had Dry Macular Degeneration, and my mom has it as well. And my 23andMe genetic report said that I carried the genes for it. My mom was just telling me last week I should start the AREDS supplements.

[josedejesusgaspar]

Thanks very ilustrative. I am a wet M. D. patient. Only the left eye, I am improving with inyections and eye drops. And congratulation, at this moment this is the best video I have seem about this desease.

[Sape-nz]

Just when I turned 40, I was diagnosed with dry AMD. Yay! Happy birthday to me! I don't have anyone in my family with AMD. I'm not a smoker, I eat healthy and exercise every day. My eye specialist didn't educate me about AMD. She only said " There's nothing I can do" but "Can you come back tomorrow so I can show my colleague the pit you have in your right eye?" LOL. Are you kidding me? I have a rare pit in my right eye and because it's rare, the eye doctors go crazy about it. Years ago, my eye doctor asked me if I could go to the University she teaches to show her students the pit in my eye. I agreed. Her students were all over my eye. I felt like I was a guinea pig. So no more. Anyway, I'm kind of frustrated because my eye doctor didn't care to help me. Because my eye dr specialist didn't explain to me that I could lose my central vision, I forgot that I have AMD. A couple of weeks ago, all the sudden I remembered that I have AMD then I decided to find out more about it, I discovered that I can go blind. I feel hopeless, sad and worried about my future. I've been eating healthier than ever to get the vitamins that are good for my condition. I have an appointment with my eye doctor to ask all the questions I have about AMD. I don't want to take AREDS. I'm on MIND diet. Can you do a video about whole foods that can help to slow down dry AMD? And recommended dosage/portion daily? Thank you Doc. for a very informative video.

[christophermacdonald]

Excellent video Doc. Really packed with information. I have fairy advanced macular degeneration inherited from my father (Mine came on much earlier and more aggressively)- in fact, the retinal specialist at UCSF(who gets an award for bedside manners bounced into my room after looking at the photos of my eyes and exclaimed 'you have the most advanced macular degeration I have ever seen in such a young man! - I was 59). I am now 64 and use a 4k monitor, a bright yellow keyboard but have massive blind spots. i am looking into an amazing headset called nu eyes e2 plus that is their middle model but works best for and flk. I have not purchased yet 9working on financing- but it is not like those $10k devices so its possible), it seem to remove the blind spots- I have no idea how...maybe it is the 3D technology that is using 9appealing0 to the whole eye? But it is a game changer for me- I could see the SF skyline for the first time ungarbled and watch a movie on our big screen.

I will be writing about this in the coming weeks if anyone is interested or if you are. But I am looking at ALL available technologies now.

[jodigustafson]

I was diagnosed with age related macular degeneration on Thursday and I’m devastated

[lindarodgers]

Thank you for sharing this information. Yes, I've had macular degeneration (dry) since 2011. Doing good so far and see my specialist every 8 months. Doing Areds 2 daily.