• Diabetic retinopathy
• Age related macular degeneration
• Flashes and floaters
• Retinal detachment
• Retinal arterial blocks
• Retinal venous blocks

Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of new blindness in adults over the age of 60 in this country. The disease also causes less severe but significant reductions in the ability to see and perform everyday tasks. A study done by National Eye Institute showed that Macular Degeneration occurs in approximately one out of five people between the ages of 65 to 74. One of three people over age 75 in this country will suffer some visual impairment due to Macular Degeneration.

The "dry" form of ARMD refers to the atrophic form which is characterized, in its late stages, by the degeneration (i.e. atrophy) of the retina in a region that includes the macula. "Dry" ARMD develops and progresses slowly over a period of 5-10 years or longer. Appoximately 85% of the total ARMD patient population has this atrophic form. The less prevalent, "wet" type of ARMD is also referred to as neovascular or exudative ARMD. It is characterized by the ingrowth of new blood vessels from the choroid. "Wet" ARMD progresses much more rapidly, over a period of weeks or months, and usually results in legal blindness in the central portion of the visual field.

Clinical examination, coupled with fluorescein angiography, Optical coherence tomography and in some cases, indocyanine green angiography are the tests useful in finding out the type of ARMD0, its prognosis and outcome.

Not necessarily. Many individuals with some drusen do not go on to develop the visual symptoms of ARMD. From a clinical standpoint, drusen must attain a threshold in numbers, size, and shape for them to become a matter of concern to ophthalmologists.

The strongest risk factors are:

1. Age. The incidence of all forms of ARMD rises steeply with advancing age. In one large study, ARMD increased from approximately 4% of individuals at 43 to 54 years of age, to 23% in those 75 years or older.
2. Drusen. The presence of numerous and/or large drusen, accompanied by specific pigmentary changes in the macula, is considered to be diagnostic of early atrophic ARMD.
3. Smoking. The incidence of both "wet" and "dry" ARMD is strongly correlated a history of smoking, and the degree of risk is proportional to the amount of cigarette consumption.
4. Genetic factors. Several studies have demonstrated a high rate of concordance in the development of ARMD among twins, particularly among identical twins. In family-based studies, the likelihood of developing ARMD is nearly 20 times higher if one or both parents have ARMD. It is highly likely that one or more gene alterations carried by the affected individual increase the susceptibility in his/her offspring.
5. Current evidence for the following additional risk factors is either weak, conflicting, or unpersuasive: gender, social class, ethnicity, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, dietary fat intake, cholesterol levels, alcohol consumption, estrogen levels, light exposure, and circulating levels of vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants.

Several studies now indicate that diets rich in green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, chard and mustard greens, can reduce the risk of ARMD. These and other vegetables are rich in certain pigments known as carotenoids. Among these, lutein and zeaxanthin are two that are highly concentrated in the macula where they may have effects that protect RPE and/or retinal cells from injury caused by the formation of peroxides and other toxic byproducts of the visual cycle . Lutein and zeaxanthin are now widely available as dietary supplements; however, their efficacy when consumed in this form has not been well studied.

There have been at least five published trials that have tried to determine whether dietary supplements, such as vitamins A, C, E or zinc can arrest or prevent the development of ARMD. Thus far, the results from these small scale studies have not been encouraging. However, new data from a much larger study called the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) indicates that dietary supplementation with 500 mg of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E, 15 milligrams of beta-carotene and 80 milligrams of zinc (as zinc oxide) can reduce the risk of developing advanced ARMD by approximately 25%.

Earlier, there were no treatments for macular degeneration. About 15 to 20 years back, laser photocoagulation was used for the first time to treat ARMD. For the last 5 years, newer treatments, which are more effective, are coming up. The most commonly applied clinical approach to Age Related Macular Degeneration is one in which in some cases can slow the progression of the disease, but does not restore already lost vision. This is possible with special laser called Photodyanamic therapy. Newer therapeutic approaches include Photodynamic therapy along with intravitreal injections like Lucentis, Macugen or Avastin.