A skilled macular degeneration specialist Orange County CA patients trust understands that the prospect of losing one’s eyesight can be a 
frightening and overwhelming situation. At the Retina Eye Associates of Orange County, we have treated many patients with macular degeneration and may be able to help you if you have been diagnosed with the condition.
There are three stages of macular degeneration a patient may suffer:
- Early degeneration: At this stage, there is typically no vision loss;
- Intermediate macular degeneration: In some cases, the patient may experience some loss of vision, but there are usually no symptoms at this point;
- Late macular degeneration: There are two types of macular degeneration at this stage. Atrophic, also referred to as dry macular degeneration, is the less severe type and is the most common. The more severe type is exudative, which is referred to as wet macular.
Macular Degeneration Testing
Each Orange County macular degeneration specialist from our practice has extensive experience treating patients who suffer from this condition. If you or your primary medical doctor suspect you have developed macular degeneration, there are tests that we can perform to determine that diagnosis. In order to make the correct diagnosis, it is important for the patient to undergo a dilated eye exam. This is the only way to determine whether or not macular degeneration exists.
The steps of the eye exam that your macular degeneration specialist Orange County CA may take you through could include:
1. A visual acuity test which uses an eye chart to measure how well the patient can see at distances.
2. An amsler grid to determine if the lines of the grid appear wavy or disappear when the patient looks at it. Difficulties with central vision is a symptom of macular degeneration.
3. A dilated eye exam where the macular degeneration specialist Orange County CA will place eye drops in the patient’s eyes in order to dilate the pupils. This allows for a better look into the eye in order to see if there are any signs of macular degeneration in the optic nerve or retina. The specialist will use a magnifying lens for this test.
4. A fluorescein angiogram test where the specialist injects fluorescent dye into the patient’s arm and then takes photos as the dye passes through the blood vessels in the patient’s eye. If the photos show the blood vessels are leaking, this could be an indication of rapidly progressing macular degeneration.
5. An optical coherence tomography, which uses light waves to obtain high-resolution photos of the eye. This light is able to penetrate tissues in the same way that sound waves capture tissues during an ultrasound.
Contact a Macular Degeneration Specialist Orange County CA Locals Recommend
If you are having vision issues and would like to meet with a macular degeneration specialist in Orange County CA, please contact Retina Eye Associates. We have three convenient locations in Santa Ana, Newport Beach, and Laguna Hills.
Call a macular degeneration specialist Orange County CA today at the location of your choice or fill out the contact form on our website.