ARMD (Age-Related Macular Degeneration)
Many studies have shown that of the five human senses, people overwhelmingly fear the loss of vision the most. ARMD at present is the leading cause of irreversible central vision loss for people over the age of 65 in the United States. It is generally a slow, progressive, painless condition which affects the macula, the small central part of the retina, that allows a person to see fine details clearly. A far smaller number of individuals will have a more sudden and severe loss of vision as a progression of their ARMD.

The leading risk factor remains increasing age. Up to 37% of individuals over 75 have some form of ARMD. Other factors may include diet and nutrition, UV light from the sun, smoking, heredity, light skin color, and heart disease. Detection involves yearly examination once past the age of 60 and includes central and peripheral visual field testing along with dilation of the pupils to directly look at the retina/macula.

Treatment represents an extensive discussion of modalities dependent upon the stage of ARMD in which the patient presents. Such modalities include protection (UV sun glasses), diet (green leafy vegetables such as spinach versus nutritional supplements such as zinc, vitamins A, C, and E, lutein and zeaxanthin), laser surgery (direct laser therapy versus photodynamic therapy), intraocular surgery (macular translocation versus submacular surgery). Finally, there are low vision aids such as special glasses, magnifiers, video screens, etc.

Nutritional supplements are at present a popular, yet unproven, mode of therapy. They have not been shown to be preventative, and do have side effects, which can cause disease or exacerbate existing diseases. They are therefore recommended only for patients with progressive and/or severe forms of ARMD.
Direct Laser Therapy and/or Photodynamic Therapy are used to halt the progress of choroidal blood vessels (sub macular). It is the leakage of these blood vessels that causes the more sudden and/or severe form of central vision loss. Candidates for these treatments are determined soley by Flourescein Angiography performed by a retinal specialist.

Although, we do not at present have anything that completely prevents and/or treats this disease, there is a lot of ongoing research and development which provides a great deal of hope for the near and distant future.