The retina is a nerve tissue located on the innermost surface of the eyeball and its central part is called the macula. When blood circulation in the blood vessels in the eye is poor or wastes accumulate on the retina, new blood vessels are formed as a compensatory action. These blood vessels do not have a normal structure and burst easily, causing intraocular bleeding and serious visual loss.
As such, when waste products accumulate in the nervous tissue without being discharged from the retina, the function of the macula is gradually lost and ‘macular degeneration’ appears. This is a disease in which the macula, located in the center of the retina, is degenerated and causes visual impairment, and it is pointed out as one of the biggest causes of blindness.
The main cause of macular degeneration is age-related macular degeneration. Other risk factors include smoking, family history, high blood pressure, a high-fat diet, obesity and hypercholesterolemia, and sun exposure. According to statistics, macular degeneration has a prevalence of 6.6% in the population over the age of 40 in Korea and 11.7% in the population over the age of 60. Recent statistics show that the prevalence of young patients in their 40s and 50s is also increasing, and the number of patients with macular degeneration is increasing every year, so special attention is needed.
There are generally two types of macular degeneration: dry and wet. In dry macular degeneration, which accounts for 90% of macular degeneration, the photoreceptor cells in the macula gradually atrophy, and the visual acuity gradually decreases over time. If dry macular degeneration is left unattended, it can develop into wet macular degeneration, so regular monitoring is necessary.
In wet macular degeneration, edema, hemorrhage, and effusion appear in the retina as new blood vessels proliferate. Atrophy and severe bleeding may appear several months to several years following the onset, which may lead to blindness. The standard treatment method is intraocular injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, and regular and repeated injection treatment is performed while observing the retinal response of injections, usually every 4 weeks to several months.
Unlike cataracts, which progress slowly, macular degeneration progresses quickly once it occurs, but there are few subjective symptoms or initial symptoms, so it is usually discovered following the disease has progressed to some extent. If the treatment time is missed, it is a terrifying disease that can lead to blindness beyond vision loss. Therefore, if objects look curved when viewed with one eye closed, or if there is a change in vision, you should see an ophthalmologist promptly.
In particular, patients with macular degeneration on one side or with a family history often perform self-examination using a grid pattern self-examination table, which cannot replace an official eye examination. Therefore, if you are old or have risk factors, you can save your eyesight only by early detection of wet macular degeneration with the help of a retinologist through regular ophthalmic examinations.
Macular degeneration is a disease of a difficult organ called the retina, and unlike the cornea or lens, which can be replaced through transplantation or artificial materials, it cannot be replaced. Therefore, it is important to visit an ophthalmologist regularly from the age of 40 and check for macular degeneration through retinal examinations using various equipment and to detect diseases early.
In addition, when choosing an ophthalmologist, check whether medical staff with abundant clinical experience and know-how to effectively solve various eye diseases, such as macular degeneration, dry eye syndrome, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, cataract, and glaucoma, are providing customized treatment according to each individual condition. It is helpful to check whether the overall process such as examination, treatment, consultation, surgery, and post-operative care is carefully managed.
(Writing: Park Seong-wook, Director of GS Ophthalmology)
