The older we get, we can become more at risk for eye diseases, like macular degeneration.
"Other than vitamins and antioxidants, we don't have much to treat folks with early and intermediate macular degeneration," says Dr. Neesurg Mehta.
The Eye Medical Center in Northeast Fresno is looking to prevent macular degeneration from getting worse in older patients.
"Unfortunately, as we know, there is no cure, so we try to do everything to slow it down," Dr. Mehta said.
Macular degeneration can affect a person's central vision and is a leading cause of vision loss in older adults.
Now, thanks to a new piece of technology, there is a change in how doctors treat the condition through the Valeda Light Delivery System.
"We're making the cells that support the retina work better," Dr. Mehta said. "Those cells convert nutrients into energy, so this low-level light helps to stimulate those cells so they can work better and die less quickly."
While the device is small, the light power packs a punch.
Dr. Mehta is an Ophthalmologist at the Eye Medical Center.
He walked me through how the machine works.
"It senses the patient's head position, and so it locks in," he said. "There's really no aiming required because it's a diffuse light. There's just an "on" button. They open their eyes for about 30 seconds to yellow and near infrared light. Close their eyes for 30 seconds to the red light."
This is the first non-invasive treatment for macular degeneration for the Eye Medical Center.
Dr. Mehta says patients undergoing this treatment come in several times a week, over the course of four months.
"The name of the game is to treat earlier to prevent the onset of advanced changes," he said. "This is what that does."
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