If you are diagnosed with wet macular degeneration in one or both eyes, the standard treatment is to inject medicine into the affected eye(s). The injection is done with a very small needle (about the width of a hair) through the white of the eye. The eye is numbed before the injection, so the needle causes, at most, a small pinch or sensation of pressure.
Repeated injections are usually required and may be done as often as once per month.
The main goal of treatment is to stabilize the vision, preventing it from getting much worse. Most patients don’t experience a significant improvement in vision, although some do. But you should not expect vision to get much better.
It is not unusual to have some burning, irritation, scratchy feeling, redness or watering for the rest of the day following an injection. These symptoms should improve by the next day.
The worst complication following an injection is an infection inside the eye. The risk is very low, about 0.1 percent. However, if it does occur, it is very serious. During the week following an injection, if you experience worsening vision, pain, redness or pus-like drainage from the eye, you may have an infection. Call your ophthalmologist immediately.
This Scripps Health and Wellness tip was provided by Richard C. Lin, MD, PhD, an opthalmologist at Scripps Clinic in San Diego.