Myopic Macular Degeneration: Causes, Risk Factors, Treatment

Nearsighted people often suffer from rapid deterioration of eyesight, which is a sign of myopic macular degeneration. Read on to learn more about this eye condition.
 

What is Myopic Macular Degeneration?

Myopic Macular Degeneration, or MMD, is a serious eye condition that may leave you blind. You might confuse MMD with being shortsighted; however, MMD indicates a deterioration happening in your eye in contrast to regular nearsightedness. Moreover, it can’t be corrected by wearing lenses or glasses. People who need glasses of -6 diopters or higher (severe nearsightedness) are most likely to suffer from myopic macular degeneration; the risk increases as myopia reaches -10 diopters. If you don’t treat MMD on time, you may completely lose your eyesight.
 

Causes

The main factors causing MMD are posterior staphyloma and axial elongation of the eye. Researchers believe that inflammatory conditions may play a role in MMD as well. Eyeball elongation can cause changes in certain proteins, which can in its turn cause structural weakness and retinal degeneration. Chronic inflammation of eye tissue may alter the structure and function of the eye too.
 

Risk factors

Acutely nearsighted individuals and old people are at the highest risk of developing MMD.

Genetic predisposition does play a role since a person may inherit alterations in the genes involved in eyesight.
 

Treatment

Myopic macular degeneration can be treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) eye injections or with a laser.

Intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy has come up as a promising treatment modality for myopic macular degeneration over the last decade.

Posterior scleral reinforcement (PSR) is another surgical treatment for MMD. PSR aims to slow down axial elongation, which happens when you have myopia.

If you have myopic macular degeneration you should have regular eye exams. You should notify your eye doctor(s) about changes in your eyesight as soon as you notice them; myopic macular degeneration needs immediate medical attention. It is important that you understand the difference between myopia and myopic macular degeneration. With early diagnosis, myopic macular degeneration can be brought under control.