What is macular degeneration?
AMD also called (ARMD) occurs when cells in the macula – the central area of the retina – degenerate. The central vision, which is required for writing, reading, driving, and remembering people is damaged. The retinal area which has a layer of cells called retinal pigment cells (RPE) is actually damaged. However, the peripheral vision in the retina is not damaged and so you may be able to see objects and people but not normally.
Who develops AMD?
AMD is common with increasing age leading to serious sight and vision problems. it starts with one eye. AMD is common more in women than men, people who are obese and have heart diseases and who smoke.
Dry macular degeneration
The cells in the RPE degenerate and atrophy which are crucial for the function of the rods and cones. Dry AMD takes several years to develop and cause serious vision impairment. Many people are not aware of this vision loss as AMD always begins with one eye and is an accidental finding during an eye test.
In wet AMD as the retinal pigment cells (RPE) are degenerating, the tiny blood vessels grow in the choroid into the macular part of the retina causing damage to the rods and cones which results scarring in the macula, causing further vision loss. Wet AMD causes severe visual loss in a short time within weeks or months. If one eye is affected in wet AMD, the risk increases 4 times for the second eye.
Causes of macular degeneration:
In people with AMD, the cells of the RPE stop working with advancing age. The cells fail to carry the required nutrition to the rods and cones thereby, unable to clear the debris. This results in forming drusen under the retina gradually the cells degenerate and die. This is the dry type of AMD.
In wet AMD, new blood vessels grow into the layers of the retina from the choroid causing waste products or shortage of oxygen.
Certain risk factors increase the risk of developing AMD. These include:
Smoking tobacco.
High blood pressure.
A family history of AMD.
Sunlight. the retina is damaged by sunlight rays (UVA and UVB rays).
Being very overweight.
Poor diet.
Symptoms of macular degeneration
Early symptom is aggravation of vision loss, requiring more light for reading.
The late symptom is developing a blind spot in the central vision worsening over time with more destruction of rods and cones in the macula.
Visual hallucinations (also called Charles Bonnet syndrome) develop if you have severe macular degeneration. People see different images, from simple patterns to more detailed pictures – often they see complicated images of children or animals.
Peripheral vision is not affected by AMD and so it does not cause total loss of vision.
Older people should check for other eye conditions such as glaucoma.
Tests for macular degeneration
The opthalmologist checks your eyes with a slit-lamp microscope and takes digital pictures of the retina to look for dry and wet AMD.
A non-invasive test called ocular coherence tomography is used to scan the retina and macula to differentiate wet from dry AMD.
Fluorescein Angiography to diagnose the severity of wet AMD.
Macular degeneration treatment:
Quit smoking and wearing sunglasses to protect from harmful sun’s rays arrests the disease progression.
A healthy balanced diet rich in antioxidants can be beneficial, plus the addition of dietary supplements.
Homoeopathic Management and treatment:AMD
The psychodynamics of eye complaints tells us certain vital things about the patient’s personality in a nutshell.
we can see the patient’s non-adaptability to change and see new things.
It could also be related with disgust or anger towards certain person/people whom you don’t want to see eye to eye.
Along with this a repulsive mood and irritability towards life and relations,I can still recall one of my patients who has her vision completely restored by Homoeopathy.
A case of macular degeneration:
A 74-year-old lady came with reports showing macular degeneration in her left eye. She was worried and already had taken treatments from famous ophthalmologists. Many steroidal injections were given but they gave her only temporary relief. The course of steroidal injections had to be taken every 6 months and it was getting difficult financially for her.
with doubts in her heart she was brought to me on the insistence of her daughter who was treated by me for gall bladder stones and uterine fibroids. I assured to do my best in this case as prognosis was poor considering her age and pathology.
The dialogue went by asking her to reveal her life status, her routine and her emotions regarding the pathology that has developed to which Initially she was hesitant to talk about but later confided regarding her family relations etc. The striking thing that I noticed was that throughout the interview she sat in a way facing her back to her husband who was present with her. He seemed to be a free-spirited man with not much regard for his wife’s condition. This somehow seemed to annoy her. She was mostly talking, weeping about her suffering, fearing she will go blind and how her husband does not care about it. She was a hard-working lady who slogged too much for her family.
Analysis and Evaluation of the case:
Her suffering tone, Anger towards her husband, hardworking and fear of going blind.
Rubrics selected.
Mind;weeping telling sickness
Mind;delusions-poor;he is
Mind;despair for her miserable existence
Mind;anger husband towards
Mind;Dancing
Remedy selected:
SEPIA 200,1M ,followed by 0/1 potency up to 0/7 which restored her vision by 60 percent. The patient was very happy with her improvement and discontinued all other types of treatments and above all her relationship with her husband also became better. Today she continues to live life independently and happily.