Wet Vs dry macular degeneration are severe eye diseases that gradually damages the central eye vision. This happens when the process of transporting nutrients and waste by a layer of cells called the Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE) is slowed down, yellowish deposits called ” DRUNSEN” then form in the macular.
The macular is an oval yellow spot near the center of the retina of the eyes. The macula enables you to focus on tasks like driving, seeing fine details, recognizing faces, and reading this article.
Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is caused when waste products called arisen collect underneath the macular.
This can cause blurred or distorted vision. This defect can occur either in one or in both eyes.
Risk factors that can be responsible for macular degeneration are:
(1) Family history: a situation where there has been an existence or trace of people with macular degeneration in the family line.
(2)Race: macular degeneration is more common among Caucasians than it is among Africans, African-Americans, or Hispanics.– Smoking.– Hypertension
There are two types of macular degeneration: dry macular degeneration and wet macular degeneration. A person is likely to have one or both types. Most macular degeneration begins as the dry type, then gradually progresses to the wet type if not monitored by your eye specialist.
Dry macular degeneration occurs when cells of the macular begin to become thin and break down. Fatty deposits(drusen) are deposited on the macular. Research has it that these spots are deposits from deteriorating tissues.
There are no known symptoms of dry macular degeneration, so a lot of tests must be conducted to ensure proper diagnosis. It typically worsens over time if not treated. This is the main reason why the study of wet vs dry macular degeneration becomes paramount.
As many as 15% of dry macular degeneration cases will convert to wet macular degeneration, especially when not monitored closely by a doctor.
Treatment of Dry Macular Degeneration
There is currently no approved treatment for dry macular degeneration, but some studies have shown that vitamins, antioxidants, diet and abstaining from smoking might slow its growth.
Some treatment breakthroughs may include:
(1) Stem cell therapies
(2) An injection of the drug Apl 2
(3) An antibiotic called Oracea
(4) An anti-inflammatory drug called Metformin. These potential treatment measures are still undergoing clinical trials.
Wet Macular Degeneration
In this study of wet vs dry macular degeneration, we shall be considering wet macular degeneration in this section.
Wet macular degeneration occurs when the oxygen supply to the macular is disrupted and the body responds by growing new abnormal blood vessels. These new blood vessels begin to grow through the breaks of the membrane behind the retina towards the macular, often lifting the retina.
They are usually very fragile and can leak blood and other fluid beneath the macular, hence causing damage to the macular and creating scars. This damage results in rapid loss of central vision.
Vision loss is usually permanent because the abnormal blood vessels and scar tissue are destroying normal retinal tissue.
Wet Vs Dry Macular Degeneration
The main difference between wet macular degeneration and dry macular degeneration is that dry macular degeneration is a more common type of macular degeneration and does not cause loss of vision, while wet macular degeneration can result in a serious loss of vision.
Wet macular degeneration is more severe and can lead to permanent loss of central vision. Although dry macular degeneration is less serious, it can advance to wet macular degeneration if not closely monitored by a doctor.
Wet macular degeneration can be easily diagnosed with several symptoms such as blurry or distorted vision, difficulty in reading with low light, inability to see fine details, while dry macular degeneration can’t be easily diagnosed unless several tests are carefully conducted.
Dry macular degeneration slowly advances to wet macular degeneration, meanwhile wet macular degeneration can affect your vision within a few weeks and this the main reason why the study wet vs dry macular degeneration becomes important.