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Not being able to see clearly is a disorder that many older people suffer from. It is likely that these people have Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) because it is an eye disease that usually strikes around middle-age. Macular degeneration treatment is available and the sooner it is started, the more chance that the disease can be controlled and possibly delayed.

People with ARMD lose their central vision sight but their peripheral vision is unaffected. The disease may remain quite manageable for many years but can develop into a more devastating form of the disease called wet ARMD. Wet ARMD often causes substantial loss of vision. People with the disease have trouble reading, doing any kind of close detail work and driving a motor vehicle. Everyday chores like brushing teeth and so on don't seem to be a problem however.

The less severe form of the disease, dry ARMD, does not respond to any treatment. Its progression can be delayed by taking a regimen of certain vitamins used in combination with zinc and antioxidants. Taking vitamin C, beta-carotene, copper and zinc is a treatment option that is recommended by many eye specialists.

Wet ARMD cannot be cured but there are some treatment possibilities. Many eye specialists use laser surgery to destroy abnormal and leaking blood vessels near the retina. They also use a drug that is injected into the bloodstream and then use a special laser light to activate the drug when it reaches the eye. Special medications are being tried in an effort to treat the disease. Avastin and Lucentis are injected painlessly right into the eye and work to improve the vision of the wet ARMD patient. Less invasion treatments include special magnified lenses for eye glasses.

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