{"@context":"http://schema.org/","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Treatments for Wet AMD","description":"A retina specialist describes how injections for wet AMD work to clear vision problems.","uploadDate":"2023-06-06T20:00:00Z","duration":"PT2M48S","contentUrl":"https://webmd-a.akamaihd.net/delivery/delivery/aws/86/60/86600799-2401-4bbd-b34c-27328437d000/e0877b12-6daa-481e-9bae-76ac5123f979_SF365928_3_Treatment-for-Wet-Age-Related-Macular-Degeneration_04252023_1000k.mp4","keywords":"wet amd, dry amd, macular degeneration, macula fluid, vision problem, eye injection, treat amd","thumbnailUrl":"https://img.lb.wbmdstatic.com/vim/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/article_thumbnails/blog_posts/eye_health/1800x1200_ophthalmologist_examining_patients_eyes.jpg","citation":"

Baker Hubbard, MD
Retina Specialist, Emory Eye Center

","copyrightNotice":"© WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.","transcript":"[AUDIO LOGO]

BAKER HUBBARD: There are two broad categories of macular degeneration, there's the wet type and the dry type. The dry type is much more common and almost everybody starts with the dry type. And then about 20% of people will convert from dry to wet. And what we see when we do an eye exam for macular degeneration is in cases of wet macular degeneration, we see accumulation of fluid and blood, and that's why it's called wet.

So here we have a model eye. So let's open it all the way up, and you'll see here this pink layer on the inside is the retina. The retina is the inner lining on the inside of the eye and the center of the retina should be about right here is the macula. And you can see also there are a lot of blood vessels in the retina.

Wet macular degeneration is when we see fluid accumulate right here in the macula, and it causes distortion of the macula. And when the macula gets distorted, it makes the vision distorted. So instead of having lines that look straight, a line will start to look crooked. Door frames, window frames, things like that.

And frequently, it's an abrupt onset of vision changes. And that's when we know we need to do something.

Injections are the treatment for wet macular degeneration right now. The treatment consists of a regimen initially of monthly injections into the eye and we numb it up, so it doesn't hurt we do it right in the office. We use a tiny little needle, we inject the medicine right into the inside of the eye. And then once the medicine is in the eye, goes all over the inside of the eye, and makes the leakage get better and makes the fluid go away. And when the leakage gets better, and the fluid goes away, the lines start to straighten out and the vision clears up and things get better.

We now have medicines that last longer. So the injection frequency doesn't necessarily have to stay at once a month for as long we can more quickly transition to every 2 months and every 3 months with the newer medicines. But depending on how the eye responds, sometimes we still have to do quite frequent injections.

One thing to know about it is the earlier you catch it, the more likely we are to be effective at getting it treated. Because left untreated, that fluid build up in that blood leads to scarring. And once you get a scar, the injections, don't work so well. But things are getting better, the medicines are working better and lasting longer as time goes by. ","publisher":"WebMD Video Product"}

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