Is drusen serious?

Developing a few small drusen as you get older is usually a harmless and normal part of aging, but having large numbers of drusen could mean you have AMD. Over time, AMD can degrade your central vision, making it difficult to see things that are right in front of you.

What causes drusen in the eye?

Drusen is a German word that means “rock” or “geode.” They are like tiny pebbles of debris under the retina. The cause of the drusen deposits is related to a type of “garbage” disposal problem. Retinal cells dump unwanted material, and immune cells normally clean up most of it.

What is drusen stage macular degeneration?

Drusen are yellow deposits under the retina. Drusen are made up of lipids and proteins. Drusen likely do not cause age-related macular degeneration (AMD). But having drusen increases a person’s risk of developing AMD, and they may be a sign of AMD. There are different kinds of drusen.

Can you have drusen without macular degeneration?

Drusen are typically associated with age-related macular degeneration in people over the age of 60; however they can arise as hereditary degenerations in young people. Drusen are a risk factor for macular degeneration but having drusen does NOT mean you have macular degeneration.

Does high cholesterol cause drusen?

Cholesterol build-up in arteries and veins, or atherosclerosis, occurs as a natural consequence of aging. Likewise, in AMD, cholesterol is known to accumulate in the eye, within deposits called drusen.

How do you reverse a drusen?

A small clinical trial at Harvard has shown that some patients with very large drusen in the center of the retina can have their drusen size reduced and vision improved by a relatively high dose statin treatment. Statins are drugs prescribed by doctors to help lower cholesterol levels in the blood.

Can drusen be benign?

When small and few, drusen are generally benign. If the amount or size of these deposits increases, the risk of dry age-related macular degeneration develops. Age-related macular degeneration, AMD, is a leading cause of vision loss.

Are bananas good for macular degeneration?

Bananas, apples and peaches also have a lot of vitamin C. Fruits also contain antioxidant carotenoids, so they do double duty for your eyes. Experts debate the benefits of omega-3s, which are found in fish oil, but evidence suggests they may lower your risk of developing macular degeneration or slow its progress.

Can drusen cause headaches?

It rarely occurs in patients under the age of about 60 years. Severe visual loss is often associated with other systemic symptoms, such as headache, jaw claudication, or temporal artery or scalp tenderness. Visual loss can be preceded by transient episodes of unilateral visual loss in some cases.

What are the different types of drusen?

There are two main types of drusen in the retina of the eye: hard drusen and soft drusen. Hard drusen are small and round or oval in shape. They have well-defined borders, tend to be distinct or widely spread, and may occur anywhere in the retina. Hard drusen are a common aging change in older adults.

What are drusen in the eye?

Drusen are yellow deposits of lipids and protein that develop under the retina of the eye. Some drusen occur as a normal aging change and are harmless. But sometimes, they can be a sign of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). When drusen occur in the macula (the most sensitive, central region of the retina), they are called macular drusen.

What is the difference between soft and hard drusen?

Although both types of retinal drusen bodies should be monitored, hard drusen usually dopn’t cause vision problems. Soft drusen, on the other hand, are more likely to be associated with AMD and vision loss. Drusen can occur on the optic nerve (on the head of the optic nerve called the optic disc that is visible to your eye doctor inside your eyes.

Is drusen a risk factor for age-related macular degeneration?

However, the presence of drusen — particularly soft drusen — can be an early indication of AMD. “Age-related” is a part of the term because macular drusen associated with the condition typically affect adults 60 years and older. Drusen can be associated with AMD, but they are not always a risk factor of the condition.