Kadrmas Eye Care New England
  • Doctors
    • Eddie Kadrmas, MD
    • Richard Strecker, MD
    • Daniel J. Townsend, MD
    • Aimee Gray, OD
    • Ashley Sousa, OD
  • Patients
    • CV-19 Statement
    • Eye Conditions >
      • Cataracts
      • Common Eye Problems >
        • Allergies
        • Amblyopia
        • Astigmatism
        • Blepharitis
        • Chalazion / Stye
        • Conjunctivitis
        • Corneal Abrasion
        • Floaters & Flashes
        • Hyperopia / Farsightedness
        • Myopia / Nearsightedness
        • Presbyopia
        • Strabismus
      • Corneal Diseases & Disorders >
        • Corneal Ulcers
        • Fuchs’ Dystrophy
        • Herpes Zoster / Shingles
        • Keratitis
        • Keratoconus
        • Pterygium
      • Diabetic Eye Disease
      • Dry Eye Syndrome
      • Eyelid Diseases & Disorders >
        • Dermatochalasis
        • Ectropion
        • Entropion
        • Eyelid Lesion
        • Ptosis
        • Tear Duct Obstruction
        • Tumor
      • Eye Trauma / Injury >
        • Blunt Trauma
        • Chemical Injury
        • Penetrating / Perforating Injury
      • Glaucoma >
        • Open Angle Glaucoma >
          • iStent
        • Narrow Angle Glaucoma
        • Neovascular Glaucoma
        • Inflammatory Glaucoma
      • Macular Diseases & Disorders >
        • Macular Degeneration
        • Macular Hole
        • Macular Pucker
      • Neurological Eye Diseases >
        • Blepharospasm
        • Double Vision
        • Ischemic Optic Neuropathy
        • Stroke / Visual Field Defect
        • Temporal Arteritis
      • Retinal Diseases & Disorders >
        • Retinal Tears & Detachments
        • Retinal Vascular Diseases
      • Uveitis & Iritis
    • Resources >
      • Eye Health & Care Blog
      • Retina Digest
    • Videos >
      • Eye Anatomy
      • Cataract
      • Laser Cataract Surgery
      • Children's Vision
      • Common Eye Problems
      • Corneal Conditions
      • Diabetic Eye Disease
      • Dry Eye Syndrome
      • Glaucoma
      • Laser & Refractive Eye Surgery
      • LASIK Over 45
      • LASIK Under 45
      • Macular Degeneration
      • Plastic Eye Surgery
      • Retinal Conditions
      • Refractive Errors
      • Routine Eye Exams
    • Forms & Policies >
      • New Patient Forms
      • HIPAA Policy
      • Referral Forms
    • Financial Information
  • Services
    • Routine Eye Exams >
      • Children
      • Adults
    • Hearing Therapy
    • Specialized Eye Exams >
      • Dilated Eye Exam / Slit Lamp Examination
      • Fluorescein Angiogram
      • Indocyanine Green Angiogram
      • Nerve Fiber Analysis
      • Optical Coherence Tomography
      • Refraction
      • Tonometry
      • Visual Acuity Testing
      • Visual Field Testing
    • Medical, Injection & Surgical / Laser Eye Care
    • Contact Lenses >
      • Contact Lens Types
      • Contact Lens Care & Safety
    • Refractive Eye Surgery >
      • LASIK Eye Surgery
      • PRK
      • Clear Lens Extraction
      • Implantable Collamer Lenses
    • Oculoplastic Surgery & Cosmetic Procedures >
      • Blepharoplasty
      • BOTOX®
      • Restylane®
  • Locations
    • Plymouth
    • Wareham
    • Mashpee
    • Surgery Centers
  • About
    • News
    • Affiliations
    • Patient Reviews
  • Careers
  • Contact
To Schedule Your Eye Appointment, Please Call 1-508-746-8600

Patient Resources - Eye Health & Care Blog

Early Onset Macular Degeneration

2/1/2020

 
Picture
Macular degeneration is an eye condition that causes damage to the macula, which is part of the retina. The macular plays a role in central vision. Central vision is essential for all types of activities, from driving to reading. 
​
The most frequently occurring form of macular degeneration is age-related. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the number one cause of vision loss in people over the age of 50. 

Although macular degeneration is more commonly a disease of middle-aged or older adults, it can also develop in younger people. Early-onset macular degeneration is a disease that affects children, adolescents, and young adults. 

​What is early-onset macular degeneration?

Stargardt disease is a form of macular degeneration that has an early onset. The onset of the disease can occur between birth and young adulthood, but symptoms most often start in childhood or during the teen years. Stargardt disease is also called juvenile macular degeneration.

The condition is considered a genetic form of macular degeneration. To develop symptoms, a person must have inherited a gene called ABCA4 from both parents. A person that inherits the gene from only one parent is considered a carrier of the disease but will not have symptoms. Similar to AMD, Stargardt disease causes damage to the macula and a loss of vision. 
​

How does age-related macular degeneration differ from Stargardt disease? 

AMD occurs more often in people over the age of 50. Stargardt disease affects much younger people and most often starts in childhood. Also, Stargardt disease is an inherited condition, while AMD can develop in people that do not have a family history of the condition. 

Symptoms

Symptoms of early-onset macular degeneration usually start in childhood or the early teen years. According to the National Eye Institute, people that have an earlier onset of the disease tend to experience more rapid vision loss.

Although it is uncommon for people with the disease to become completely blind, central vision loss does occur. According to the Bright Focus Foundation, by age 50, about half of people with Stargardt disease will have acuity of 20/200 or worse.

People with Stargardt disease may experience the following symptoms:
  • Blurry vision
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Color blindness
  • Gray or hazy spots in the central vision

Eventually, central vision can be lost. Usually, side vision remains intact. 
​

Treatment 

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, currently, there is no cure for Stargardt disease. There is also no treatment to slow the progression of the disease.

Eye doctors may recommend a few things to help manage the condition. For example, wearing sunglasses can help people with the disease cope with light sensitivity. It can also prevent further damage to the retina.

It is also essential that people with the condition do not smoke and avoid secondhand smoke, as smoking can make the disease progress faster. According to the AAO, some studies indicate that taking large doses of vitamin A may make the disease worse. Although it is OK to eat foods containing vitamin A, it may be best to avoid supplements that contain it.

Low vision rehabilitation may be helpful for people with Stargardt disease. Since vision loss starts young, it can interfere with education. Learning how to use low vision devices may help. Low vision rehab can help teens and young adults with the disease in the form of vocational training and tips for daily living.

Research and various clinical trials are ongoing to find a way to treat Stargardt disease, so vision loss does not occur. These include trials to test treatments, such as stem cell therapies and lipofuscin blocking drugs, to determine their effectiveness.

Treatment for similar genetic diseases is available. Researchers hope that Stargardt disease will also be treatable in the near future.

If you have any questions about any form of macular degeneration, including Stargardt disease, please give us a call. Also, remember it is essential to get regular eye exams to help diagnose eye diseases early. If you would like to schedule an exam with one of our eye doctors, please phone us at 508-746-8600. 


Comments are closed.

    EYE HEALTH BLOG


    CLICK HERE to sign up for our eye health / care newsletter and have it delivered automatically to your inbox each month!

    Categories

    All
    AMD
    Astigmatism
    Cataract
    Children's Eye Health
    Color Blindness
    Conjunctivitis
    Contact Lens
    Cornea
    Cosmetic Eye Surgery
    Covid 19
    Diabetic Eye Disease
    Driving
    Dry Eyes
    Eye Allergies
    Eye Cancer
    Eye Exam
    Eye Health & Safety
    Eye Infections
    Eye Strain
    Glaucoma
    Injuries
    Low Vision
    Lupus
    Macula
    Myasthenia Gravis
    Organ Donation
    Retina
    Retinopathy
    Scleritis
    Senior Eye Health
    Sports
    Stroke
    Stye
    Uvea
    Vision Correction
    Vision Loss
    Women's Eye Health

    RSS Feed


    Picture

Kadrmas Eye Care New England

55 Commerce Way, Plymouth, MA 02360
14 Tobey Road, Wareham, MA 02571
133 Falmouth Road (Rt 28), Mashpee, MA 02649
Phone Number:
​1-508-746-8600

Hours:
Monday through Friday - 
8 AM - 4:30 PM 
© 2015-2021 Kadrmas Eye Care New England • All Rights Reserved
KadrmasEyeCare.com Privacy Policy • Disclaimer of Medical Liability
Proudly powered by Weebly
Design by DivTag Templates