Have you recently received a diagnosis of macular edema? You may have questions about this condition, including how to treat it. At Retina Consultants of Miami, our team of ophthalmologists is here to help.
Macular edema is a condition that occurs when there is a build-up of fluid in the macula, which leads to swelling. The macula is part of the retina and how you see the details of things right in front of you.
These include faces of friends or loved ones and written text in a book or an email. If you have macular edema, it can distort your vision, making things look blurry. It can also make colors look faded and washed out.
Many things can cause macular edema since it occurs when fluid swells up in the macula. It usually happens if broken blood vessels leak, leading to swelling.
Some things that can cause macular edema include:
With macular degeneration, abnormal blood vessels leak blood and fluids into the retina, affecting your vision. These abnormal leaking blood vessels then result in swelling of the macula.
For people with diabetes, high blood sugar levels that are left uncontrolled damage blood vessels. These damaged blood vessels leak into the macula.
Certain medications have side effects that can result in macular edema.
With a retinal vein occlusion, veins in the retina get blocked, leading to fluid and blood making their way into the macula and causing macular edema.
If you’ve suffered trauma or injury to your eye, you may end up with macular edema.
Although uncommon, it’s possible to develop macular edema after surgery on your eyes. This may be to treat glaucoma, the retina, or cataracts.
In the early stages of macular edema, there are not usually any symptoms or pain. As the condition progresses, you may experience these symptoms:
If you experience these symptoms, it’s often a sign that there may be blood vessels in your eye that have begun leaking. See your ophthalmologist at Retina Consultants of Miami to avoid permanent vision loss as soon as you notice these symptoms.
Macular edema can lead to permanent vision loss or blindness if left untreated.
The treatment of macular edema depends upon its root cause. Treating macular edema focuses on addressing any swelling in the retina and leakage. Your eye doctor at Retina Consultants of Miami may treat macular edema in one of the following ways:
Anti-VEGF injections help reduce the formation of abnormal blood vessels growing on the retina while decreasing any leaking from the vessels. These injections are delivered using a slender needle.
If your ophthalmologist determines that the cause of macular edema is inflammation, they may use steroid medication to treat it. Steroids may be in the form of pills, injections, or drops.
Laser treatments like focal laser treatment are often used to stabilize vision by sealing any leaking blood vessels. Laser pulses get applied to any areas of leakage around the macula.
You may undergo a vitrectomy if macular edema occurs because of the vitreous pulling on the macula. During a vitrectomy, your surgeon will remove the vitreous from the eye and any scar tissue from the macula.
No matter how your ophthalmologist chooses to treat macular edema, know it can take several months for the condition to resolve. During this time, continue following the treatment regimen outlined by your eye doctor for the most effective results.
Do you need to treat macular edema? Request an appointment at Retina Consultants of Miami in Miami, FL, now!
