TREATMENT
GOALS
• Stop progression of the disease
• Prevent additional vision loss
• Minimize functional impairment
• Vision rehabilitation
DISPOSITION
• Recommendations for specialist referral
○ Patients who experience vision loss must be referred to an ophthalmologist experienced in retinal diseases
○ Immediate referral to a retina specialist is recommended when choroidal neovascularization is suspected or new visual symptoms appear in early macular degeneration
○ Consultation with the patient's primary care physician is recommended when nutritional supplements are prescribed
TREATMENT OPTIONS
•
○ Early detection is important because some treatments can delay or reduce the severity of the disease 1
○ There is no treatment …show more content…
– Can slow the rate of vision loss
– Often used in combination with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections for specific types of macular degeneration
– Follow-up exam every three months until stable
– Retreatment as indicated
○ Nutritional supplements (vitamins, antioxidants, zinc, copper) 1
– Can stop progression and prevent severe macular degeneration
□ Age Related Eye Disease Study and Age Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS/AREDS2) formula 1
□ 500 mg vitamin C
□ 400 IU vitamin E
□ 80 mg or 25 mg zinc oxide
□ 2 mg cupric oxide
□ 15 mg beta-carotene or, in the alternative, 10 mg lutein and 2 mg zeaxanthin
– Follow-up exam at six-18 months if no symptoms; prompt exam for new symptoms 1
• Nondrug and supportive care
○ Low-vision aids
GOALS
• Stop progression of the disease
• Prevent additional vision loss
• Minimize functional impairment
• Vision rehabilitation
DISPOSITION
• Recommendations for specialist referral
○ Patients who experience vision loss must be referred to an ophthalmologist experienced in retinal diseases
○ Immediate referral to a retina specialist is recommended when choroidal neovascularization is suspected or new visual symptoms appear in early macular degeneration
○ Consultation with the patient's primary care physician is recommended when nutritional supplements are prescribed
TREATMENT OPTIONS
•
○ Early detection is important because some treatments can delay or reduce the severity of the disease 1
○ There is no treatment …show more content…
– Can slow the rate of vision loss
– Often used in combination with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections for specific types of macular degeneration
– Follow-up exam every three months until stable
– Retreatment as indicated
○ Nutritional supplements (vitamins, antioxidants, zinc, copper) 1
– Can stop progression and prevent severe macular degeneration
□ Age Related Eye Disease Study and Age Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS/AREDS2) formula 1
□ 500 mg vitamin C
□ 400 IU vitamin E
□ 80 mg or 25 mg zinc oxide
□ 2 mg cupric oxide
□ 15 mg beta-carotene or, in the alternative, 10 mg lutein and 2 mg zeaxanthin
– Follow-up exam at six-18 months if no symptoms; prompt exam for new symptoms 1
• Nondrug and supportive care
○ Low-vision aids