Macular Degeneration
The leading cause of vision in American adults aged 50 and older would be age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and there are two varieties—Wet and Dry AMD. Those afflicted by age-related macular degeneration will experienced blurred, distorted vision or even see gaps or dark spots in places. As AMD worsens, the less you can see. However, AMD doesn’t cause people to go completely blind, for some peripheral vision usually remains.
Dry AMD is the less serious type of macular degeneration. This type involves the deterioration of macula cells. The retinal cells die and aren’t renewed, creating distortions, faded colors, and other issues with sight. The development of dry AMD is often treated with glasses, but that is usually all that can be done.
Wet AMD, on the other hand, is the more severe type of macular degeneration and develops when abnormal blood vessels grow in the eye’s macula. Blood or other fluids start to leak into the macula, scarring it. While loss of vision can be rapid, if caught in time, wet AMD can be treated. Drugs are injected into the eye to slow the growth of the blood vessels. Other inexpensive options include three drugs called aflibercept (Eylea), bevacizumab (Avastin), and ranibizumab (Lucentis). This assist with slowing vision loss.
Avastin costs about $50 a month, while other options could be $2,000 a month or more. While Avastin is often the first choice because of the cost, it was found that Avastin doesn’t come in appropriate dosages for wet AMD. This means that whenever an optometrist or ophthalmologist orders Avastin, the pharmacy must repackage the ingredients, increasing the overall risk of contamination. Be sure to discuss every option with your doctor to make sure you are choosing the right one for you.
If you don’t have Medicare coverage, you might want to choose Avastin. Yet, if you have decent supplemental coverage from Medicare, you could afford another medicine like Lucentis.
