Questions & Answers

This is something that you need to discuss with your physician, who is familiar with your health history, to see how it may specifically impact you. Some scientists believe that drugs like Celebrex may actually be beneficial in the treatment of wet macular degeneration. In fact, the National Eye Institute sponsored a clinical trial to determine whether use of celecoxib (Celebrex) in combination with photodynamic therapy (PDT) may be beneficial in the treatment of wet macular degeneration. This study was conducted on the premise that the drug might reduce swelling and prevent vessel re-growth in age-related macular degeneration, enhancing the effectiveness of PDT. While the study has been completed, the results have not been released as of yet, so no concrete conclusion can be drawn at this point. To read more about this study, please visit the following website: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00043680?order=1

It is possible that your friend has X-linked retinoschisis, meaning he likely inherited the disease, and this condition impacts the macular region of the eye. Males inherit X-linked retinoschisis from their mothers who carry the condition but have no symptoms and retain normal vision. It affects males because they only have one X chromosome (men are XY while women are XX). Females with one affected X chromosome are said to be carriers and are not impacted by the disease because they have one normal X chromosome. Due to the fact that males only have one X chromosome, if that X chromosome carries the gene for X-linked retinoschisis, then they will develop the condition because they don’t have another normal X chromosome to "balance" it out. For more information on retinoschisis, please see the following website: http://www.kellogg.umich.edu/patientcare/conditions/retinoschisis.html

Macular degeneration also affects contrast sensitivity which is often perceived not only as visual distortion but as a loss of color perception. This might cause difficulty in distinguishing between colors, especially in different lighting conditions. While problems with contrast sensitivity may be a contributing factor in the "yellow mottling" that you see on the sink, I can not say this for sure. This is something you should discuss with your ophthalmologist to ensure that there are no other visual problems that are causing your symptoms.

Benicar is a drug used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). After searching the scientific literature, I found no evidence suggesting that Benicar may cause dry macular degeneration to turn into the wet form of the disease. Benicar belongs to a class of drugs known as angiotension II receptor antagonists (blockers). Some scientific studies suggest that drugs capable of blocking this class of receptors may have potential benefit in preventing choroidal neovascularization (the development of new leaky blood vessels) common to wet macular degeneration. If this is truly the case, then drugs like Benicar may also prove beneficial in the treatment of macular degeneration; however, much more study is needed before this can be proven definitively. Please inform your eye doctor that you are taking this medication and he/she can provide you with specific medical advice concerning Benicar and answer any further questions that you have.

Whether or not you may be eligible for any disability benefits depends heavily on the state in which you reside. You also need to talk with your physician to determine whether he/she agrees that your condition renders you as medically disabled or unable to perform work, and whether he/she is willing to fill out the necessary legal documents attesting to this. My recommendation would be to make an appointment at the office that handles disability claims in your area, find out what is required to make a disability claim, determine whether you may qualify, and then proceed to fill out the necessary documents with your physician’s assistance.

Even knowing the facts that you have presented, it is almost impossible to predict whether you may experience some vision loss within the next 5 to 10 years. Though it appears that you may have a genetic predisposition for macular degeneration (given the fact that your younger brother has had a similar diagnosis), there is no concrete timeline or predictor that enables one to guess the disease progression or rate. You are doing the correct things by protecting your eyes from prolonged sun exposure, not smoking, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. These things are definitely believed to slow the progression of the disease. Please continue your healthy lifestyle, keep regular appointments with your ophthalmologist, use the Amsler grid to help you detect any subtle changes in your vision, and report any changes, no matter how small they seem, to your ophthalmologist immediately. While there is no cure for macular degeneration, early detection offers the greatest number of options for treating and preventing disease progression.

A macular hole and macular degeneration are two separate conditions; however, symptoms of each may be similar. A macular hole often develops when the jelly-like substance that helps maintains the shape of the eye, the vitreous, begins to shrink as is common with increasing age. This shrinking may pull a tear or hole in the retina, causing the formation of a macular hole. A macular hole may also develop due to other eye diseases, such as extreme nearsightedness or retinopathies. In some patients, macular holes seal themselves and require no treatment. However, in some cases, a surgical procedure, called a vitrectomy, is required to fix the problem and improve vision.

Macular degeneration is an age-related eye disease and is not caused by surgical procedures such as scleral buckling. However, you may have a condition called cystoid macula edema in the eye that the surgery was performed on. Cystoid macular edema actually occurs when fluid and protein deposits collect under a region of the eye known as the macula, and may occur in some individuals after eye surgery. Because the macula is the region of the eye responsible for the sharpest vision and is located in the center of the retina, collection of fluid in this area may distort a person’s central vision and cause visual symptoms similar to those seen with macular degeneration. Nonetheless, only your eye doctor can provide you with more detailed information concerning your macular symptoms.