What is the macula?
The macula is a small area in the centre of your retina (the light sensitive screen at the back of your eye). It consists of cells called cones that are responsible for sharp vision and perceiving colour.
What is macular edema?
A macular edema is swelling of the eye's macula, the part of your eye responsible for detailed, central vision. Macular edema develops when blood vessels in the retina are leaking fluids. The macula does not function properly when it is swollen. Vision loss may be mild to severe.
| • Diabetic Retinopathy. |
| • Eye surgery, including cataract surgery |
| • Age-related macular degeneration |
| • Uveitis |
| • Retinal vein occlusion |
| • Side effects of certain medications |
| • Certain genetic disorders, such as retinoschisis or retinitis pigmentosa |
Do I have a Macular Edema? (Symptoms)
Your central vision begins to blur and distort. Your ability to see fine details might decrease. Colours appear "washed out" or changed.
If you have macular edema symptoms, you should see an ophthalmologist right away. If left untreated, macular edema can cause severe vision loss and even blindness.
What are the tests for Macular edema?
Your pupils will be dilated and your retina will be examined during an eye exam.
Fluorescein angiography images show if any blood vessels are leaking and how much leakage there is.
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), a special camera is used to photograph your retina. It measures the thickness of the retina and is also very sensitive at detecting swelling and fluid.
How is Macular Edema treated?
There are many different treatment options available, depending upon your specific diagnosis. Your eye doctor will recommend the most appropriate option for you, based on your diagnosis. Everyone responds to different treatments in varying ways, so there is no one “best” way to treat macular edema.
It is not possible to predict how long it may take for you to respond to treatment, although most cases are resolved within several weeks to months. In some instances, recovery may require an even longer period of time.
Focal laser treatment: Many tiny laser pulses to areas of fluid leakage around the macula. The main goal of treatment is to stabilize vision by sealing off leaking blood vessels that interfere with the proper function of the macula. In some cases, vision loss may be improved with laser treatment.
Intravitreal injection therapy: Two drugs —steroids and anti-VEGF agents — have shown promise in reducing diabetic macular edema.
For people with diabetes, controlling blood sugar and blood pressure is another method of macular edema treatment.
Topical or oral medications: You may be prescribed topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory eye drops, oral diuretic medications, or oral steroid or anti-inflammatory medications to reduce the swelling.
Vitrectomy surgery: In rare cases, when cystoid macular edema does not respond to drops or injections, vitrectomy surgery may be needed to clear the gel inside the eye.
It may take several months for macular edema to resolve itself. During this time, it is important to follow the treatment regimen that your ophthalmologist recommends in order for your treatment to be effective.
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