'Does it look like this?' Suspected symptoms of blindness 'yellow degeneration'

Nov 11, 2024

62-year-old A's eyes have been blurry for a few years. I thought it was simply presbyopia, but I was shocked when I saw the ophthalmology treatment because the letters looked shaky and bent recently. This is because he was diagnosed with 'yellow degeneration' that can even lead to blindness. Fortunately, A got better after receiving intraocular injection treatment.

There is a nerve tissue in the eye called the retina that plays a very important role in vision. This is a nerve tissue corresponding to the film of a camera, and its center is called the macula. There is a function where important cells that respond to light stimulation are concentrated and can be seen. When we say that our eyesight is 1.0 and 0.8 we often express the degree of function that depends on the function of this macula in numbers. Macular degeneration refers to a disease in which waste matter accumulates in this macula, swelling and bleeding due to atrophy or the appearance of new blood vessels, gradually reducing vision or leading to blindness.

According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of macular degeneration patients increased from 200,471 in 2019 to 497,338 in 2023, a 2.5 times increase over the past five years

Gil Hyun-kyung, chief of the ophthalmology department at Bundang Jesaeng Hospital, said "Yellow degeneration occurs mainly in the elderly over the age of 50 and is the most important cause of blindness in the elderly population worldwide."The cause of macular degeneration is not yet clear, but it is reported to be related to aging, smoking, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases", he explained

Macular degeneration is divided into two types: dry and wet, and dry macular degeneration is a case of accumulation of waste matter in the retina or lesions such as retinal pigment epithelial atrophy, accounting for about 90% of age-related macular degeneration. It does not usually cause severe vision loss, but it can develop into a wet form.

Wet macular degeneration is about 10% of patients with macular degeneration, and abnormal new blood vessels are formed under the retina, accompanied by bleeding and swelling of the retina, and sudden severe deterioration of vision.

Director Gil Hyun-kyung said, `In the early stages of dry macular disease, there is little vision loss and little awareness symptoms, so it is common to be found by accident. However, if it progresses gradually, vision decreases, and if it progresses to wet macular degeneration, vision decreases and it looks bent or distorted when looking at nearby objects. In case of wet macular degeneration, intraocular injection (antibody injection)It is treated through the law, and it is very effective when treated early, so early diagnosis and treatment are important."

Macular degeneration is a modern blindness disease that increases the risk of developing in all ages due to environmental factors such as lifestyle and westernized eating habits of modern people and aging. Various factors such as eye fatigue, stress, strong sunlight, and metabolic diseases caused by using computers and smartphones can negatively affect eye health. In particular, the retina does not regenerate once damaged and it is difficult to recognize symptoms in the early stages, so it is important to consume lutein and vitamins along with regular ophthalmic checkups and wear sunglasses or hats to prevent direct exposure to sunlight.