Is Dry Macular Degeneration Treatable?

Have you or a loved one experienced a vision change and been diagnosed with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)? Vision difficulty from AMD can cause understandable anxiety, especially when you know it’s a progressive condition. Our board-certified ophthalmologists with Wolchok Eye Associates, PA, administer the most advanced treatments for dry AMD. 

You’re at risk of AMD if you’re 55 or over; it’s an age-related disease. About 80% of people with macular degeneration have this dry disease.

What does dry AMD do to my eyes? 

Your macula, the middle part of your retina, starts to thin and deteriorates when you have dry AMD. Clumps of protein begin to form; these can blur your central vision. Cells in your retina may also die, creating blank spots in your central vision. Just the threat of losing your central vision is disturbing. Driving, seeing your loved one’s face, or doing household tasks like cooking may be impossible without your central vision.

Our board-certified ophthalmologists with Wolchok Eye Associates, PA, administer the most advanced treatments for dry AMD. 

Symptoms in the three stages of dry AMD

Dry AMD has three stages. Its progression is often slow and occurs over several years. In the intermediate and late stages, you can experience vision difficulty and vision loss. 

Early dry AMD

Some diseases have no symptoms in the early stage, which is the case with early dry AMD. As with any health condition, early treatment benefits you. That’s why you should schedule eye exams at the intervals your ophthalmologist recommends. 

Intermediate dry AMD

Even when dry AMD is at an intermediate stage, you may not have symptoms. If you do, you may experience blurriness when looking at objects straight ahead and have difficulty seeing in poor lighting. 

Late-stage dry AMD

Call our office for an appointment if straight lines look curved or wavy; it’s a warning sign of late AMD. Objects in your central vision begin to look blurred. You might see blank spots. 

Is dry macular degeneration treatable? 

Dry AMD moves from early to intermediate to late stage.

Early-stage treatment 

In the early stage, your eye specialist carefully monitors your eyes. You should make healthy habits, including eating a healthy diet and exercising. Studies show that people who consume green, leafy vegetables regularly are at lower risk of AMD. If you smoke, you should quit. It can slow the progression of the disease and enable you to keep your vision. More smokers experience significant vision loss from AMD than nonsmokers. 

Intermediate-stage treatment for AMD

During large clinical trials known as the Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS), researchers found that taking a high dose of antioxidant vitamins and minerals can help reduce your risk of vision loss if you have intermediate or late-stage AMD. Your doctor has you take the formula daily. The AREDS study formula contains the following ingredients: 

• 500 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C
• 400 international units (IU) of vitamin E
• 10 mg of lutein
• 2 mg of zeaxanthin
• 80 mg of zinc (zinc oxide)
• 2 mg of copper (cupric oxide)

Treatment for late-stage dry AMD

Until a couple of years ago, there was no effective treatment for dry AMD in the late stage, also called geographic atrophy (GA). There’s good news now. Researchers have recently made significant advances in treating late-stage dry AMD. 

In 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved two new drugs: pegcetacoplan (SYFOVRE) and avacincaptad pegol (Izervay). These drugs help stop your immune system from mistakenly attacking your retina. They slow the progression of the disease, although they can’t restore vision that’s already lost.  

Call Wolchok Eye Associates, PA, or book an appointment through our online portal today if you experience vision changes.