there can be a happier ending for wet amd patients
for a group of vision-focused patient organizations, a ...
sep 12 2019
4 minute read
dr. varun chaudhary, chief of ophthalmology at hamilton regional eye institute, stresses the importance of early intervention for amd patients
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novartis pharmaceuticals canada inc. in collaboration with leading vision organizations
this story was created by content works, postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of a client.
think about your favourite moments from your favourite films. the car chase in the french connection ; john travolta and olivia newton-john dancing in grease ; a flying delorean in back to the future . as the toronto international film festival continues in toronto, we celebrate film’s ability to create moments that stay with us a lifetime.
for a group of vision-focused patient organizations, a love of film must come with an appreciation of eyesight. fighting blindness canada, the canadian council of the blind and the canadian retina society, in partnership with novartis canada, are asking film-lovers to recognise the signs of amd, the leading cause of vision loss in people over 50.
here’s one amd story however that has a happy ending. ten years ago edward coates ended his friday unloading some shelving. when he came back to work the following monday, something was terribly wrong. “i thought someone had taken a sledgehammer to the stuff. it all looked bent where it should have been straight.”
yet when he covered his right eye, everything looked the way it should. “my left eye was normal. my right eye made things look wavy that should have been straight. i knew right away i had a problem,” said the 83-year-old from caledon.
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his optometrist immediately sent him to a retina specialist where he was diagnosed with wet age-related macular degeneration (amd). coates was fortunate. in taking quick action, he was immediately put on a regimen of injections that helped to slow down the progression of vision loss and improve vision, as well as the ability to perform related activities such as reading and driving.
amd affects approximately 1.4 million canadians. the condition refers to the macula, the small, central portion of the retina which is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.
the dry form is more common and less severe and occurs when the macula becomes thinner leading to slow, gradual vision loss. the most telling sign is the loss of central vision when looking at objects. it starts as a black dot that gets larger over time, leaving only peripheral vision.
the wet form affects about 10 per cent of amd patients. it is caused by abnormal blood vessels below the macula that swell and eventually leak blood and fluid into the eye. it is often a negative progression from dry amd, and loss of vision can be rapid and severe.
the impact of vision loss from amd can be profound for a person’s livelihood and quality of living. it can affect their perceptions of shapes, colours and people’s faces. they can struggle with reading text and watching films. with only peripheral vision, it can be hard to follow a movie’s story lines or characters, and impossible to read subtitles. at best they can only get the gist of a story playing on screen. as we age, it is important to screen for amd, particularly for people over 55.
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coates says while he was lucky enough to get a quick diagnosis and immediate treatment, he often thinks about how vision loss would have changed his life. it would have meant giving up pastimes like model building, or driving to and from the city. “when my wife and i head into hamilton to go the theatre, i often think what we would have done if i had been prohibited from driving.”
there are a number of factors that can contribute to amd beyond age, including smoking, genetics, heredity, and nutrition, says dr. varun chaudhary, chief of ophthalmology at hamilton regional eye institute, st. joseph’s healthcare in hamilton and cpd director for the canadian retina society. “the difference with wet amd is that vision loss is significant and rapid. with wet amd you can start losing your vision within days, which is why monitoring and early diagnosis is so important.”
anyone experiencing noticeable vision changes should have their eyes checked. “any change in vision should be concerning,” dr. chaudhary cautions. “awareness is important because with wet amd early intervention can offer huge benefits.”
coates recalls a story about a father who had almost run over a pedestrian at an intersection. “he was in terrible shape with amd and didn’t do anything about it. you have to get at it. if i can send any message out there, it’s get cracking!”
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dr. chaudhary says that’s an all too common story. “people tend to put vision loss down to aging and leave it too long.” that’s why he has joined a group of leading eye specialists to promote amd awareness in a series of public service announcements, the first of which will be launched at tiff. “cinematography leaves a lifelong impact on our consciousness because of what we see. what better platform is there to highlight such an important issue to a viewing audience?”
movies stay with you. so should your vision. spot the symptoms of amd. for more information visit fighting blindness canada at www.fightingblindness.ca or canadian council of the blind at www.ccbnational.net .
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