Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsLifestyleOTC TherapiesPrescriptionsSurgeries and SpecialistsComplementaryNext in Geographic Atrophy GuideWhat Is Geographic Atrophy?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Lifestyle
OTC Therapies
Prescriptions
Surgeries and Specialists
Complementary
Next in Geographic Atrophy Guide
Geographic atrophytreatment options remain limited. Treatment pathways for this advanced eye condition range from making lifestyle changes to prevent it from occurring to methods of maximizing remaining vision.
This article will discuss treatment for geographic atrophy, including lifestyle changes, over-the-counter vitamins, vision-maximizing procedures, and other possibilities.
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Home Remedies and Lifestyle
Your lifestyle can play a role in helping to keep geographic atrophy at bay, including:
Over-the-Counter Therapies
For geographic atrophy, some look tovitaminsin order to potentially slow progression. You can find these on the shelf at your local pharmacy. Possibilities include:
Izervay and Syfovre are the first-ever FDA-approved treatments for geographic atrophy and come as a solution that is injected directly into the eye and slows the progression of geographic atrophy.
Surgeries and Specialist-Driven Procedures
One of the options for treating geographic atrophy is to maximize the vision that you still have. A way to do this is to get a referral to alow-vision specialistwho can recommend different technology that can help. Here are some possibilities:
Implantable Miniature Telescope
Some people with geographic atrophy may benefit from an implantable miniature telescope. Normally, thelens of the eyefocuses light rays on the light-sensitiveretinaat the back of the eye. Macular degeneration and geographic atrophy affect the retina.
This device replaces the natural lens and is helpful for late-stage age-related macular degeneration in people whose vision is compromised in both eyes.
Much like a magnifying glass, the implantable miniature telescope can make use of the parts of your retina that continue to work, which usually are in your peripheral (side) vision. This technology can help with visual tasks ranging from reading to recognizing faces.
To see if you would be a good candidate for this approach, you will be offered the trial use of an external telescope. Your ophthalmologist will then test you to detect whether there is any improvement in your vision. A provider will want to ensure that your vision improves enough to read at least five lines on a vision chart.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
In cases in which Western medicine comes up short in treating geographic atrophy, some people seek an alternative or complementary approach.
Acupunctureis rooted in ancient Chinese medicine. The technique involves putting very slender needles in the skin at specific points to achieve a therapeutic goal. Exactly how this works remains unclear, but the approach has been found to reduce pain and speed wound healing.
In a pilot study conducted at the University of Pittsburgh, investigators used acupuncture on people with dry AMD with varied success.They initially tested people to see their visual acuity and contrast sensitivity (ability to distinguish between light and dark) and gave a quality-of-life survey.
While some saw a significant improvement, improvement was minimal for others, and some participants gained no improvement. However, acupuncture did not worsen anyone’s condition. But more study is needed here.
Summary
Vitamin supplements, such as the AREDS1 and AREDS 2 formulations, can also play a role. A variety of low-vision aids, from magnifying technology to a magnifying device implanted in the eye, can all help to maximize vision.
A Word From Verywell
While treatment options for geographic atrophy remain limited, there are ways to postpone this condition and various methods to optimize your vision. New treatments to either slow the progression or even cure it are under investigation.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Geographic atrophy.Prevent Blindness.Geographic atrophy.Bosch-Morell F, Villagrasa V, Ortega T, et al.Medicinal plants and natural products as neuroprotective agents in age-related macular degeneration.Neural Regen Res. 2020;15(12):2207-2216. doi:10.4103/1673-5374.284978.National Eye Institute.AREDS/AREDS2 frequently asked questions.Bright Focus Foundation.Vitamins for age-related macular degeneration: do you have the correct formula?Food and Drug Administration.Syfovre label.Bright Focus.The implantable miniature telescope for macular degeneration.Dhaliwal DK, Zhou S.Acupuncture for dry AMD.Retina Today. 2019 Jan/Feb.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Geographic atrophy.Prevent Blindness.Geographic atrophy.Bosch-Morell F, Villagrasa V, Ortega T, et al.Medicinal plants and natural products as neuroprotective agents in age-related macular degeneration.Neural Regen Res. 2020;15(12):2207-2216. doi:10.4103/1673-5374.284978.National Eye Institute.AREDS/AREDS2 frequently asked questions.Bright Focus Foundation.Vitamins for age-related macular degeneration: do you have the correct formula?Food and Drug Administration.Syfovre label.Bright Focus.The implantable miniature telescope for macular degeneration.Dhaliwal DK, Zhou S.Acupuncture for dry AMD.Retina Today. 2019 Jan/Feb.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Geographic atrophy.Prevent Blindness.Geographic atrophy.Bosch-Morell F, Villagrasa V, Ortega T, et al.Medicinal plants and natural products as neuroprotective agents in age-related macular degeneration.Neural Regen Res. 2020;15(12):2207-2216. doi:10.4103/1673-5374.284978.National Eye Institute.AREDS/AREDS2 frequently asked questions.Bright Focus Foundation.Vitamins for age-related macular degeneration: do you have the correct formula?Food and Drug Administration.Syfovre label.Bright Focus.The implantable miniature telescope for macular degeneration.Dhaliwal DK, Zhou S.Acupuncture for dry AMD.Retina Today. 2019 Jan/Feb.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Geographic atrophy.
Prevent Blindness.Geographic atrophy.
Bosch-Morell F, Villagrasa V, Ortega T, et al.Medicinal plants and natural products as neuroprotective agents in age-related macular degeneration.Neural Regen Res. 2020;15(12):2207-2216. doi:10.4103/1673-5374.284978.
National Eye Institute.AREDS/AREDS2 frequently asked questions.
Bright Focus Foundation.Vitamins for age-related macular degeneration: do you have the correct formula?
Food and Drug Administration.Syfovre label.
Bright Focus.The implantable miniature telescope for macular degeneration.
Dhaliwal DK, Zhou S.Acupuncture for dry AMD.Retina Today. 2019 Jan/Feb.
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