RETINA WEEK 2024

What do we know about retinal diseases?

An estimated 100 million people worldwide suffer from various retinal diseases, and many cases remain undiagnosed or inadequately treated. Retina Week's educational activities, which have been running for more than two decades, aim to sensitize patients and educate the public about diagnosis and available treatment options. The scale of incidence is very large - the B.70 drug program for the treatment of patients with retinal diseases is the most numerous program of the National Health Service, with more than 45,000 people treated under it in Q1 2024. In second place is the program for the treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis, where there are half as many patients - 22.5 thousand.

For many thousands of people, the deterioration or loss of vision due to retinal diseases such as AMD or DME is a major change in their current lifestyle. For people who previously functioned independently, independence is reduced, there is anxiety about the future, fear of leaving home, and relationships with loved ones deteriorate. All this leads to social isolation.

The questions most often asked by patients and their families are: Is there a possible treatment that will stop the disease? Will I be able to continue working? How will I get around inside and outside the home? Will it be necessary to involve loved ones in every activity of daily life? Where can I seek help?

- I don't think there is a person in the world who wouldn't be horrified by the thought of not being able to read, drive a car, look a loved one in the eye or enjoy beautiful sights. We believe that if we were born sighted it will always be so. Unfortunately, despite medical advances, there are still many conditions that threaten good vision. This is the case, for example, in cases of retinal and macular disorders, when patients get to the doctor too late. We believe that educating the public about the prevention of eye diseases can save many people from blindness, which is why our association has been actively participating in the Retina Week information campaign for 20 years," says Malgorzata Pacholec, president of the Retina AMD Association Poland.

There are a great many diseases of the retina of the eye, and their causes are also different. Some of them are beyond our control, such as genetic factors or the aging process. Some of them depend on lifestyle, e.g. smoking, diet, physical activity. Manyretinal disorders are still incurable today, examples include genetically determined diseases such asretinitis pigmentosa (RP) or Stargardt's disease. However, there are promising clinical trials underway that could be successful in the near future. That's why it's worth communicating about it, so that patients terrified by the diagnosis can maintain hope for a better future.

The key is timely diagnosis and implementation of treatment

In the case of retinal diseases, every day counts. The changes can progress quickly and often imperceptibly, as they occur asymmetrically - the eye that is not yet affected takes over visual function, masking the symptoms of vision loss. DME patients may develop such symptoms as blurred, fuzzy vision, deterioration of visual acuity (both near and far), wavy and interrupted straight lines, and spots in the visual field. In the case of AMD, these include blurred vision and drusen, which are small yellowish clusters in the retina that may contain remnants of damaged tissue. You can see the world through the eyes of people with AMD and DME at zachowajwzrok.co.uk.

In recent years, medical advances have contributed to the development of effective methods to prevent vision loss in conditions such as nAMD (exudative form of age-related macular degeneration), DME (diabetic macular edema) and central vein or branch vein thrombosis - RVO.

Treatment of nAMD and DME has been available in Poland for many years now, and is world-class. It is based on the use of drugs that block VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor). They are administered in the form of injections into the eye, or intravitreal injections. In Poland, treatment of retinal diseases is provided comprehensively under the B.70 drug program funded by the National Health Fund. Thanks to this treatment, patients with these conditions can maintain useful vision and lead active lives for a long time. However, therapy must be implemented at an early stage of the disease, so early diagnosis is crucial to treatment outcomes.

What to keep in mind

Retinal diseases can affect both young and elderly patients. In Poland, awareness of eye diseases is very low, most Poles do not know that you can check the condition of your eyes yourself with the Amsler test - a simple and free way to detect early signs of retinal diseases. A squared piece of paper with a point in the middle, allows you to check whether the vision in both eyes is equal and not distorted.

Here are some important recommendations to preserve your eyesight:

• Once a month, checking eyesight with the Amsler test,
• A visit to an ophthalmologist once a year,
• A diet rich in lutein, omega 3 acids, zinc and vitamins A, C and E,
• UV eye protection,
• Smoking cessation,
• Maintaining hygiene when using contact lenses,
• Regular physical activity,
• Frequent breaks while working at the computer to look away.

We are living longer and longer, and our society is aging. Age-related eye diseases will become more and more prevalent in society. There are many eye diseases that take away vision, but recent years have brought great advances in new treatments that can save many people from blindness. Raising the public's awareness of the risk of eye disease, prevention and the possibility of appropriate therapy, medication can significantly affect the quality of life.

Let's remember that prevention of eye diseases is crucial to preserve vision.

About the "Keep Your Sight" campaign

"Preserve Your Sight" is an educational campaign for patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME). It targets at-risk individuals, patients and their families - with the goal of improving diagnosis, as well as supporting patients with retinal diseases. The intention of the campaign's organizers is to draw attention to the problem of retinal diseases in society, to reach people in at-risk groups with information about regular eye examinations to detect retinal changes early, and to help diagnose DME and AMD. For more information on the course of retinal diseases and useful advice for patients, visit: www.zachowajwzrok.pl.

Educational workshops are also being conducted for patients and their caregivers, and information is being disseminated in the national media to provide reliable knowledge about the diseases and encourage regular examinations and, if the disease is detected, the most optimal treatment.

Source: Press Mat.