Retina is like the film in a camera. Retina is the third and inner coat of the eye which is a light-sensitive layer of tissue. When the focused light hits the retina, a picture is created and sent to the brain through the optic nerve (the nerve of the eye), thus giving us vision. Sometimes part of the retina either tears, pulls away or detaches from the back of the eye; when this occurs that part of the retina cannot gather light and results in vision loss.
Diseases and conditions of the retina
- Age-Related Macular Degeneration
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Retinal tear
- Retinal Detachment
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
What causes in ARMD?
During normal aging, yellowish deposits, called drusen, form under the retina, which is the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye that provides clear, sharp images.
As drusen increase in size and number, they can interfere with proper functioning of the retina, damaging or killing the light-sensitive cells of the macula.
Because the macula’s light-sensitive cells provide the ability to have sharp, detailed vision, the results can be blurring of central vision and a devastating impact on the ability to enjoy activities of daily life, such as reading, driving, or even recognizing the face of a friend or family member.
This form of age-related macular degeneration is called dry ARMD. Dry ARMD can be a precursor to wet ARMD.
Wet ARMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels behind the retina start to grow under the macula. These blood vessels often leak blood and fluid, damaging or killing light-sensitive cells—loss of vision occurs quickly.
Although approximately 80 percent of patients with age-related macular degeneration have dry ARMD, wet ARMD is responsible for 80 to 90 percent of severe loss of vision with this disease.
Life with ARMD : what you should know
ARMD may be a difficult condition, but it is not as devastating as people fear when they are diagnosed and only rarely leads to complete blindness. Millions of people actually live healthy, independent lives, despite having age-related macular degeneration.
It is important to learn about the disease and have regular consultation wth Retina Specialist, who will discuss a treatment plan with you. A retina specialist in consultation with low vision specialist can also suggest access to rehabilitation options like low vision aids which includes a variety of tools and resources that can make everyday living with ARMD a little bit easier.
Symptoms
The earliest signs of ARMD in the retina can be detected by a retina specialist before you have any vision loss, but those who have had the disease for some time may notice changes in vision which are symptomatic of dry and wet ARMD.
Dry ARMD symptoms
- Need for brighter light when reading
- Difficulty adapting to low light levels
- Increased blurriness of printed words
- Decrease in brightness of colors
- Blurred spot in the center of the field of vision
- Blank or black spot in the field of vision (spot will start small and grow over time, possibly leading to blindness
Wet ARMD
Wet ARMD Symptoms
- Sudden painless decline in central vision
- Visual distortions, such as straight lines appearing wavy, or objects appearing larger or smaller than they are
- Well-defined blind spot in the center of vision
It is important to pay close attention to any decline in central vision—both near and distant. If you notice any of these signs or symptoms, schedule an examination with a Retina Specialist.
Risk factors
Many people ask if age-related macular degeneration can be prevented. Like most things in life, there is no easy answer.
The primary risk factor for ARMD is age—the older you are, the greater your risk. Also, people with a family history of AMD are at higher risk, as are women and people of European descent.
Diagnostic tests
The best way to detect ARMD is an examination by a retina specialist. The following are some typical methods he/she will use to check for ARMD.
Dilated eye exam
In this examination, a physician uses eye drops to dilate, or widen, the pupil to examine the retina. Regular dilated eye exams are important, especially for those who are at a higher risk for developing ARMD.
If you are over age of 50, it is a good idea to schedule an periodic eye examination to look for the earliest signs of ARMD before any vision loss has occurred.
Ocular coherence tomography
The physician may suggest an optical coherence tomography (OCT) exam. This test provides cross-sectional images of the retina that show its thickness, helping determine whether fluid has leaked into retinal tissue and other changes that happen with AMD.
Amsler grid
Another way to detect ARMD is by using an Amsler grid test. In this test, the patient covers one eye at a time and stares at the black dot at the center of the grid. If the straight lines appear broken, crooked, wavy, bent, or distorted, the patient may have ARMD.
It is important to note that this test is hardly sufficient to rule out the possibility of ARMD, as many people with the disease may see no abnormalities on an Amsler grid.
Visual acuity test
Because ARMD affects visual acuity, an eye chart can also be an indicator of the development of ARMD.
Treatment and drugs
There is no known cure for ARMD, but early detection and proper treatment can protect vision from further deterioration.
Dry ARMD treatments
- Currently, no medical treatments exist for dry ARMD, but the retina specialist will suggest strategies to slow its progression—taking vitamin or mineral supplements, for example.
- If you have Dry ARMD, it is extremely important to follow your retina specialist’s eye examination schedule.
- Biweekly Amsler’s grid self examination
- Also, if you experience new symptoms or your notice any deterioration in vision, see your retina specialist right away.
Wet ARMD treatments
There is a variety of medical treatments that can help stop further vision loss caused by wet ARMD:
- Eye injections – These medicines destroy abnormal blood vessels in the eye and prevent them from leaking. It is most commoly used treatment option in Wet ARMD
Intravitreal Injections
- Ranibizumab : Is the newest and most effective anti-VEGF agent approved by the FDA for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
- Retinal Laser Procedure – These procedures can eliminate abnormal blood vessels and prevent additional leakage, bleeding, or growth.
- Photodynamic therapy – In this treatment, the patient is injected in the arm with a medicine that is triggered by a laser to destroy abnormal blood vessels.
Retinal Tear / Detachment
Tears or detachment results from aging, an eye-injury, or another eye problem.
A retinal detachment occurs when fluid leaks through the tear and separates the retina from the back of the eye.
Symptoms of Retinal Tear:
- Floaters (specks or threads in your vision).
- Flashes (lights, stars or streaks in your vision).
- Sudden blurry vision.
Treatment of Retinal Tear is mainly surgical this involves :
Pneumatic retinopexy- Sealing a tear:
This procedure can be used to treat retinal detachment if the tear is small and easy to close. A small gas bubble is injected into the eye (specifically into the clear, gel-like substance between the lens and the retina), where it then rises and presses against the retina, closing the tear. A laser or cryopexy can then be used to seal the tear.
Each of these treatments seals the retina to the back of the eye, and prevents progressive deterioration of the tear.
Treatment for Retinal Detachment :
- Laser Treatment of the Retina : Laser is usually performed to decrease leakage in the retina, treat abnormal blood vessel growth, or create a beneficial scarring effect that can help prevent a retinal detachment. It is a non invasive procedure .
- Scleral Buckle : This treatment for retinal detachment involves surgically sewing a silicone band (buckle) around the white of the eye (called the sclera) to push the sclera toward the tear until the tear heals. This band is not visible and remains permanently attached. Laser or cryo treatment may then be necessary to seal the tear.
- Vitrectomy : A sophisticated microsurgical technique in which the vitreous gel is removed from inside the eye with a small, specialized cutting device, an operating microscope to look into the eye, and microsurgical instruments.
- Depending on the complexity of the retinal detachment, various combinations of vitrectomy, buckle, laser and gas bubble may be used to repair the retina.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes complication that affects eyes. It’s caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina). The cells in persons with diabetes mellitus have difficulty using and storing sugar properly. When blood sugar gets too high, it can damage the blood vessels in the rear of the eyes. This damage may lead to diabetic Retinopathy. It can lead to vision loss or blindness. You already may have diabetic retinopathy, or be at risk for it. But you can take steps to reduce your risk of vision loss from this condition.
Risk of developing diabetic retinopathy can increase as a result of:
- Duration of diabetes — the longer you have diabetes, the greater your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy
- Poor control of your blood sugar level
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Pregnancy
- Tobacco use
- Being black, Hispanic or Native American
Detection & Prevention Of Vision Loss
The problem with diabetic retinopathy is that there are no symptoms in the early stages. During the time when retinopathy is most easily treated, the diabetic will not notice visual changes. In fact, more than 50% of patients with proliferative retinpathy may have good vision for 5 years or more. When visual symptoms start, it is often too late. Therefore, consider the following steps:
- Routine eye examination – Eyes should be checked periodically as advised by your eye doctor
- Diabetes Control
- Control of blood pressure (hypertension) and cholestrol
- Stop smoking & alcohol intake.
Investigations
- Diabetic retinopathy is best diagnosed with a dilated eye exam.
- During the exam, the eye doctor looks for:
- Abnormal blood vessels
- Swelling, blood or fatty deposits in the retina
- Growth of new blood vessels and scar tissue
- Bleeding in the clear, jelly-like substance that fills the center of the eye (vitreous)
- Retinal detachment
- Abnormalities in optic nerve
In addition to this exam, there are 3 other diagnostic tools eye specialist use to detect and manage diabetic retinopathy:
Fundus Photograph : This involves taking images of retina using a specialized non contact fundus camera.
Fundus Fluorescein Angiography (FFA): By injecting dye into one of the peripheral veins, severity of retinopathy can be picked up for treatment depending on the pattern of dye leakage.
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT): is non-invasive as compared to FFA (no needle) & with fundus photography, it provides accurate screening for diabetic retinopathy severity. We have installed the latest 3D OCT at Ojas for enhanced imaging quality.
Treatment
- Laser photo-coagulation: Diabetic retinopathy is a treatable condition by laser photocoagulation. The Laser beam energy is absorbed by the ocular tissues/retina where it is directed & it is then changed to heat energy which coagulates the tissue by burning. Thus the Laser is used to spot weld the leaking point in the retina. We can prevent the complications of retinopathy such as haemorrhage, fibrous scar tissue formation & retinal detachment.
- Intravitreal injections : these are the more recent means of treating diabetic retinopathy. Like Lasers they are not particularly painful, can be more effective than laser itself in most cases.
- Surgery : with Microincisional (keyhole) Stitchless Vitrectomy surgery, diabetic retinopathy complications like bleeding & retinal detachment can be easily treated without opening up tissues of the eye or taking stitches.
We at Shreeji Eye Institute have Best Retina Specialist in Mumbai for Retina treatment and surgery.
Contact Shreeji Eye Institute today for all your Retina Treatment in Mumbai City at Call us (+91) 8425855150.