At this time there is no treatment available for Stargardt disease. However, researchers are studying gene and drug therapies. One promising study involves delivering a healthy version of the gene that causes Stargardt disease, ABCA4, into retinal cells to restore production of the normal protein.
Can people with Stargardt drive?
These low vision optics enable you to read signs and see traffic lights in the distance. So getting a driver's license and driving safely with Stargardt disease even if you are legally blind can be an option!
Does Stargardt cause complete blindness?
The condition can be slowly degenerative and progressive, but it is very uncommon for someone with Stargardt Disease to become completely blind. The rate of progression and degree of visual loss can vary from person to person and even among affected members of the same family.Feb 4, 2019
How rare is Stargardt disease?
Stargardt macular degeneration is the most common form of juvenile macular degeneration, the signs and symptoms of which begin in childhood. The estimated prevalence of Stargardt macular degeneration is 1 in 8,000 to 10,000 individuals.
How fast does Stargardt progress?
How Fast Does Stargardt's Progress? Vision loss from Stargardt's generally begins to show up within the first 20 years of a young person's life, particularly in early childhood.
What does someone with macular dystrophy see?
With macular degeneration, a blind spot most often appears in the central visual field. If the disease progresses, the blurriness or darkness of the spot becomes larger and more severe, making it very difficult if not impossible to read, drive, or discern faces.
What do people with retinal damage See?
If the damage is near the macula, one could notice various visual effects such as general poor vision, distortion of images such as straight lines appearing wavy, blurry spots in one's central vision, and/or vision with images appearing and disappearing. Typical symptoms of a damaged retina include: Dim central vision.
Can Stargardt disease be cured?
Stargardt disease, like other forms of macular degeneration, does not have a cure yet. It is sometimes treated with intraocular injections of anti-VEGF drugs, similar to “wet” Age-related Macular Degeneration treatments, if there is the proliferation or leakage of blood vessels.
What vitamin helps prevent blindness?
Vitamin A supplementation
What vitamin helps retinal detachment?
When the National Eye Institute released the results of its carefully controlled Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), the results showed that high doses of antioxidants vitamin C (500 mg), vitamin E (400 IU), and beta-carotene along with zinc (8 mg), reduced the risk of vision loss from advanced age-related macular
What is the treatment of Stargardt disease?
There's no treatment for Stargardt disease, but vision rehabilitation can help people make the most of their remaining vision.