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Macular Degeneration,vision Disorder,acupuncture,ayurveda
Question: Sir,
My sister 27 years old suffering from Macular degeneration. But i have searched in net about this disease and found that there is very limited cure/treatment in modern medicine and no one else in our family have this disease. I also found that this disease if of 2 types wet/dry and it generally affects after 50 years.
Kindly let me know the what type of disease is this(specific type) and please let me know if treatment or vision power can be improved by any therapies (like acupuncture) or through Ayurveda.
My sister 27 years old suffering from Macular degeneration. But i have searched in net about this disease and found that there is very limited cure/treatment in modern medicine and no one else in our family have this disease. I also found that this disease if of 2 types wet/dry and it generally affects after 50 years.
Kindly let me know the what type of disease is this(specific type) and please let me know if treatment or vision power can be improved by any therapies (like acupuncture) or through Ayurveda.
Dear Sir/Madam,
Thanks for the query.
Your sister is suffering from hereditary macular degeneration.It is not necessary that she could have inherited it from the family.Previous laser surgery to remove glasses has no effect on this condition.
As per my knowledge alternative treatments(like ayurveda and acupuncture) have no role.However C.Gloeye once daily for prolonged periods has shown improvement in some patients.
If you have been told that you have beginnings of macular degeneration or early changes like pigment changes , then do not unnecessarily worry that it will soon progress to advanced form and vision loss.
There is more than 98% probability that early macular degeneration changes will not progress to advanced macular degeneration over a period of 5 years.
Only 6%-8% of individuals who are 75 years or older have the advanced form of macular degeneration. It is important to understand that even in these patients 'vision loss' or 'blindness' refers to the loss of 'central vision' only.
You can slow the progression of macular degeneration by high dose antioxidant + zinc supplements. Treatment with antioxidants + zinc reduces the probability of developing advanced macular degeneration as well as moderate vision loss.
FDA approved treatments for macular degeneration include laser (thermal or PDT) and drugs (macugen or lucentis).You can discuss this with the treating physician.
Age related macular degeneration(wet and dry) is a different condition and it affects elderly people(>50 years).
Hope I have cleared all your doubts.I will be available for follow up.
Dr.Mihir Shah
Thanks for the query.
Your sister is suffering from hereditary macular degeneration.It is not necessary that she could have inherited it from the family.Previous laser surgery to remove glasses has no effect on this condition.
As per my knowledge alternative treatments(like ayurveda and acupuncture) have no role.However C.Gloeye once daily for prolonged periods has shown improvement in some patients.
If you have been told that you have beginnings of macular degeneration or early changes like pigment changes , then do not unnecessarily worry that it will soon progress to advanced form and vision loss.
There is more than 98% probability that early macular degeneration changes will not progress to advanced macular degeneration over a period of 5 years.
Only 6%-8% of individuals who are 75 years or older have the advanced form of macular degeneration. It is important to understand that even in these patients 'vision loss' or 'blindness' refers to the loss of 'central vision' only.
You can slow the progression of macular degeneration by high dose antioxidant + zinc supplements. Treatment with antioxidants + zinc reduces the probability of developing advanced macular degeneration as well as moderate vision loss.
FDA approved treatments for macular degeneration include laser (thermal or PDT) and drugs (macugen or lucentis).You can discuss this with the treating physician.
Age related macular degeneration(wet and dry) is a different condition and it affects elderly people(>50 years).
Hope I have cleared all your doubts.I will be available for follow up.
Dr.Mihir Shah
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Radhika
Sir,
Thanks for your reply.
I have some more question, Now she is facing problem in reading. She is not able to read properly because of this disease. I have attached the report (fundus Photography of the retina) so could you please check and let me know what type of macular degeneration she is having or she is having some other disease (like Stargardt). Kindly check the report and expalin me on this
Thanks and Regards,
XXXXXXX
Thanks for your reply.
I have some more question, Now she is facing problem in reading. She is not able to read properly because of this disease. I have attached the report (fundus Photography of the retina) so could you please check and let me know what type of macular degeneration she is having or she is having some other disease (like Stargardt). Kindly check the report and expalin me on this
Thanks and Regards,
XXXXXXX
Dear XXXXXXX
Thanks for the reports.
I have gone through the reports and I fee that difficulty in reading is because of the involvement of the macula.
She can try low vision aids. It is unlikely to be Stargardts macular dystrophy. The fact that she has Nystagmus(fine jerky movements of the eyes) supports the fact that this condition is present since birth.
It is very difficult to categorize which type of macular degeneration is this. Categorizing is not going to change the treatment because for all types of hereditary macular degenerations, there is no satisfactory treatment.The treatment is mainly conservative.
Hope this answers your query.
Wish you good health.
Regards.
Dr.Mihir Shah
Thanks for the reports.
I have gone through the reports and I fee that difficulty in reading is because of the involvement of the macula.
She can try low vision aids. It is unlikely to be Stargardts macular dystrophy. The fact that she has Nystagmus(fine jerky movements of the eyes) supports the fact that this condition is present since birth.
It is very difficult to categorize which type of macular degeneration is this. Categorizing is not going to change the treatment because for all types of hereditary macular degenerations, there is no satisfactory treatment.The treatment is mainly conservative.
Hope this answers your query.
Wish you good health.
Regards.
Dr.Mihir Shah
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Ashwin Bhandari
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