Macular Degeneration

Iowa EyeCare is a leader in the diagnosis of macular degeneration in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Make an appointment with our eye doctors in Robins, Marion, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

What is macular degeneration?

Macular Degeneration is a disease that causes permanent central vision loss in older individuals and is therefore commonly referred to as Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Macular degeneration destroys healthy macular tissue slowly over time. The macula is the area on the back surface of the eye that is aligned with the pupil. A healthy macula allows you to see fine details. Over 10 million people in the United States have macular degeneration.

Who is at risk for developing macular degeneration?

Macular Degeneration is not limited to a particular age, race, or gender, but there are some risk factors that have been identified:

Age: As we age the risk for developing macular degeneration increases.
Family History: Those individuals with a family member who has macular degeneration is at greater risk for developing this eye disease.
Gender: Females are more likely to develop macular degeneration.
Smoking: Smoking or a history of smoking increases the risk of macular disease.
Obesity: Overweight individuals are placing themselves at greater risk.
Diet: A diet high in alcohol, saturated fats, and cholesterol may be damaging.
Cardiovascular Disease: Individuals with a history of high blood pressure, stroke, poor blood circulation, or heart attack are at increased risk for developing macular degeneration.
Sun Exposure: Those who have spent significant amounts of time outdoors during their life are also at greater risk.

Is there more than one type of macular degeneration?

Two forms of macular degeneration exist… a "wet" form and a "dry" form. Dry macular degeneration is more common and is usually less severe than wet macular degeneration. Wet macular degeneration is different from dry macular degeneration because it includes blood and/or blood contents in the macula. Approximately 15% of patients with dry macular degeneration will eventually convert to have the more visually devastating wet form of macular degeneration. Our experienced eye doctors and advanced in-office technology combine to give you the best eye care in Iowa.

Wet verses Dry Macular Degeneration

How do I know if I have macular degeneration?

Sometimes early macular degeneration goes unnoticed because the poorer-seeing areas in one eye will compensated for by the better-seeing areas in the fellow eye. Most individuals with early macular degeneration will begin to notice blurred vision and distortion at all distances. Central vision can become worse over time, making activities such as reading and driving or even recognizing faces nearly impossible.

The eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare are experts at diagnosing and treating macular degeneration. Our eye doctors look for macular degeneration at every examination and recommend that all patients have annual exam.

How do the eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare test for macular degeneration?

There are many techniques used to evaluate macular degeneration. Your eye doctor will use one or more of these methods to evaluate macular degeneration.

Visual Acuity Test: Using an eye chart to test your ability to see details.
Observation: Your eye doctor will view the macula directly to look for changes associated with macular disease, as well as other eye diseases.
Visual Field: This test tells us where the poor-seeing areas of the eye are located and measures for worsening of the disease.
Imaging: OCT-Macula scans of the retina tell us what is going on at a microscopic level, within the retinal eye tissue.
Amsler Grid: The grid measures distortion and/or missing vision.

What is the treatment for macular degeneration?

There is no cure for macular degeneration at this time, but the progression of macular degeneration can be slowed. Regular eye exams, healthy lifestyle, proper diet, and possibly nutritional supplements can all guard against vision loss due to macular degeneration.

Once vision is lost, it is usually gone forever. In order to detect macular degeneration early, it is important to We have locations in Cedar Rapids, Marion, and Robins, Iowa. Contact us today!

Back