New Treatment For Macular Degeneration

Macular Degeneration Some new sight saving treatments for a disease that causes blindness. A new drug is working wonders.

by Emily Forrester

Published: Mon, April 13, 2009 - 9:41 pm CST Last Updated: Mon, April 13, 2009 - 9:51 pm CST

A severe sight problem called macular degeneration is becoming more common with baby boomers, but there are new treatments to help.
Sylvia Moore was diagnosed with macular degeneration three years ago.

"If I look straight ahead at somebody's face, I don't see them at all, you'd
see a blank spot, a black spot, " says Moore.

Macular Degeneration is most common in seniors. It happens when blood
vessels in the back of the eye start leaking.

Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in people over 65.

The good news is doctors now have more weapons than ever to fight the
condition, and in some cases even reverse it. When it's caught early, vitamin therapy can slow down the progression of
macular degeneration.
In some cases laser surgery can halt vision loss, but the latest treatment is a drug that's injected directly into the eye.

"The medication targets the abnormal blood vessels leading to its shutdown and
hopefully to the improvement in vision, " says Dr. Aizman.

Moore has been getting the injections for three months and is already seeing
a difference. A new study predicts some 9 million Americans will be diagnosed with macular
degeneration next year. That number is expected to double in the next 40
years.

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