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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffThere's no treatment available to reverse dry macular degeneration. But this doesn't mean you'll eventually lose all of your sight. Dry macular degeneration usually progresses slowly, and many people with the condition are able to live relatively normal, productive lives, especially if only one eye is affected. Your doctor may recommend annual eye exams to see if your condition is progressing.
Increased vitamin intake
Taking a high-dose formulation of antioxidant vitamins and zinc may reduce the progression of dry macular degeneration to vision loss, according to research by the National Eye Institute (NEI). In its research, the NEI used a formulation that included:
- 500 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C
- 400 international units (IU) of vitamin E
- 15 mg of beta carotene (often as vitamin A — up to 25,000 IU)
- 80 mg of zinc (as zinc oxide)
- 2 mg of copper (as cupric oxide)
Ask your doctor whether this formulation may help you reduce your risk of vision loss. Studies found this specific combination of vitamins can't cure severe vision loss, but it may reduce the risk of vision loss in people with intermediate macular degeneration. If you have advanced stage macular degeneration in one eye, this combination of vitamins may reduce the risk that you'll develop vision loss in your other eye. But for people with early-stage dry macular degeneration, there's no evidence that these vitamins provide a benefit.
Tell your doctor if you smoke, since beta carotene supplements have been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer in smokers. Your doctor may recommend an alternative formulation of vitamins for you.
Your doctor may also recommend lifestyle changes to incorporate more of the fruits and vegetables that contain these vitamins into your diet, along with other foods, such as fish, that contain nutrients believed to contribute to eye health. Some people may prefer to make lifestyle changes, rather than take supplements. Others may wish to combine supplements with lifestyle changes. Discuss your options with your doctor.
Surgery to implant a telescopic lens in one eye
For people with advanced macular degeneration in both eyes, one option to improve vision may be surgery to implant a telescopic lens in one eye. The telescopic lens, which looks like a tiny plastic tube, is equipped with lenses that magnify your field of vision. The telescopic lens implant may improve both distance and close-up vision.
- Age-related macular degeneration. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://one.aao.org/asset.axd?id=29a3f5f4-afa1-41ea-bbc5-0bb01ff1fc9c. Accessed July 27, 2010.
- Rosenfeld PJ, et al. Age-related macular degeneration. In: Yanoff M, et al. Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/199400089-5/0/1869/0.html. Accessed July 27, 2010.
- Facts about age-related macular degeneration. National Eye Institute. http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/maculardegen/armd_facts.asp. Accessed July 27, 2010.
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). EyeSmart. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amd.cfm. Accessed Aug. 2, 2010.
- Arroyo JG. Age-related macular degeneration: Treatment and prevention. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 27, 2010.
- Making the most of low vision. EyeSmart. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amd-low-vision.cfm. Accessed July 27, 2010.
- Schadlu AP, et al. Charles Bonnet syndrome: A review. Current Opinion in Ophthalmology. 2009;20:219.
- Devices to help with low vision. Macular Degeneration Partnership. http://www.amd.org/living-with-amd/low-vision/80-devices-to-help-low-vision.html. Accessed Aug. 10, 2010.
- Primo SA. Implantable miniature telescope: Lessons learned. Optometry. 2010;81:86.
- Krishnadev N, et al. Nutritional supplements for age-related macular degeneration. Current Opinion in Ophthalmology. 2010;21:184.
- Van Leeuwen R, et al. Dietary intake of antioxidants and risk of age-related macular degeneration. JAMA. 2005;294:3101.
- Chong EWT, et al. Fat consumption and its association with age-related macular degeneration. Archives of Ophthalmology. 2009;127:674.
- Chiu CJ, et al. Does eating particular diets alter the risk of age-related macular degeneration in users of the Age-Related Eye Diseases Study supplements? British Journal of Ophthalmology. 2009;93:1241.
- Chiu CJ, et al. Dietary carbohydrate and the progression of age-related macular degeneration: A prospective study from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007;86:1210.
- SanGiovanni JP, et al. The relationship of dietary omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid intake with incident age-related macular degeneration. Archives of Ophthalmology. 2008;126:1274.
- Seddon JM, et al. Cigarette smoking, fish consumption, omega-3 fatty acid intake and associations with age-related macular degeneration. Archives of Ophthalmology. 2006;124:995.
- Robertson DM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 10, 2010.
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