Detecting and Treating Macular Degeneration in Connecticut

For over 30 years, the team at New Insight Family Eyecare has been providing the best in eye care to the communities of Waterbury, CT., Prospect, CT., Southbury, CT., and Farmington, CT. This includes the detection, maintenance, and treatment of Macular Degeneration.

What is Macular Degeneration?

Macular degeneration is a disease that affects central vision, creating blind spots and blurred vision. While it drastically affects the quality of a person’s vision, rarely does anyone go completely blind from it.

There are two types of macular degeneration.

1. Dry – Quite common, lots of treatment options to help slow the progression of the disease.
2. Wet – Less common, only treatment options are clinical trials, a faster loss of vision

You may want to contact New Insight Family Eyecare to book a comprehensive eye exam if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms.

Symptoms of Macular Degeneration
● Blurry of Fuzzy Vison
● Problems recognizing familiar faces
● Straight lines look wavy
● A dark or blind spot in the center of your vision

Macular degeneration can alternately arise as a symptom of Lyme Disease. Lyme Disease can cause inflammation of the optic nerve, resulting in blurred vision and eye pain on rare occasions.

What to Expect from a Macular Degeneration Test

When you come to New Insight for macular degeneration testing, here is what you can expect:

● Pupil Dilation
Using drops, your doctor will dilate your pupil, allowing them to examine the back of your eye for fluid, blood, or yellow deposits under the retina.
●  Test the Center of Your Vision for Defects
Using an Amsler grid, your doctor will check for defects like blind spots in your field of vision.
●  Fluorescein Angiography
A colored dye is injected into your arm, which then travels to the blood vessels in your eye. As it passes through the vessels, your doctor will be able to see if there are any abnormal leakages or retinal changes.
●  Indocyanine Green Angiography
This test may be used to back up the findings from a Fluorescein Angiography using a different kind of dye to see further into the retina.
●  Optical Coherence Tomography
This noninvasive test allows your doctor to monitor the retina for thickening, thinning, or swelling.

Treating Macular Degeneration

At New Insight Family Eyecare, we have had great success in slowing vision loss, preserving its quality, and even recovering some lost vision associated with dry muscular degeneration. When receiving treatment, you can expect to see any of the following offered:

●  Medication
● Photodynamic Therapy
A procedure that uses a specific medication and a small laser can make open blood vessels close, slowing vision loss.
●  Photocoagulation
With this procedure, your doctor will use a high-powered laser to shut abnormal blood vessels.
● Low Vision Rehabilitation
This treatment teaches you how to adapt to your new vision parameters, given that only the central portion of your vision is affected by macular degeneration.

Lastly, you will want to make sure that you have routine eye exams to monitor your condition and assess treatment needs.