Support for Macular Degeneration

Because there is no cure for macular degeneration, the condition must be managed for the rest of your life. If you have been diagnosed with the dry form of this condition, it's important to have regular follow-up visits with your eye specialist at NYU Langone, so the doctor can monitor you for any changes in the condition.

If you’ve been diagnosed with wet macular degeneration and need injections of medication, you also need to see your doctor regularly. During these appointments, he or she can monitor how your eyes are responding to the treatment.

Although advancing age is the predominant cause of macular degeneration, certain risk factors can also increase your chance of developing the condition. These include smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity. NYU Langone offers nutrition and weight loss support services, such as the Weight Management Program, that can help you adopt healthy lifestyle changes and lower your risk of developing macular degeneration.

If you already have the dry type of the condition, making lifestyle changes may help slow the condition’s progression to the wet form of macular degeneration.

If you need help quitting smoking, NYU Langone’s Tobacco Cessation Programs can give you the support and strategies you need. This can also help improve your eye health.

Visual Rehabilitation

Macular degeneration can cause some permanent loss to central vision—the ability to see objects directly in front of you. Because peripheral vision is not affected, people with this condition are not completely blind.

At NYU Langone’s Rusk Rehabilitation, our vision therapists work with ophthalmologists to develop a program that addresses your compromised vision and enables you to participate in your usual activities.

Our specialists teach you how to use low-vision devices and adaptive technologies for activities that require central vision, including reading, writing, and working on a computer. Our occupational therapists suggest devices, such as magnifiers and small telescopes, that help you see at a distance, which facilitate your daily activities. They can also help you develop strategies to navigate your surroundings safely.

At NYU Langone, our rehabilitation team helps you achieve the highest possible level of comfort and independence.