Drusen in a young patient- VERY worried

[DG34888]

Hello all,

A little backstory:

~15 years ago (when I was ~20) an optometrist told me I have some small yellow spots in my eye and these are typically only found in older patients. Being 20 and thinking I was invincible, I didn't get any further testing.

Fast forward to last month (I am 35), a different optometrist again noticed these spots and this time told me these are drusen that are typically found in AMD patients. She said nothing to worry about, since they were very few and only of the hard drusen type. She also recommended I go see an ophthalmologist although she told me not to worry.

The Ophthalmologist gave me an OCT and a dilated eye test and told me everything looks great...Colour is good, zero sign of degeneration and these spots look like "beauty marks" (i think he meant I was born with them).

There is no way of me to compare the scan from 15 years ago to the scan from this year since I can't even remember where I went 15 years ago! I currently wear glasses to correct for myopia (-5.5) and my mother also had drusen at a young age (She does not have AMD)

I am VERY concerned I am going to lose my vision due to this. Am I overreacting? I have scheduled yearly follow-ups with the Ophthalmologist, but I am still concerned. He also suggested that my strong myopia maybe a reason for the drusen...is that even possible?

Add to this that my wife is currently pregnant and I have anxiety issues.

[Hidden]

Hi DG

To have a few hard drusen does not mean you are going to develop MD. Hard drusen are far less likely to do so than the soft ones. So don't worry about what may or may not happen in the future. If you had them 15 years ago and nothing much seems to have changed according to what you are saying then clearly there is no cause for alarm. You are not going to lose your eyesight because of a few drusen. True, people with AMD usually have drusen but people with drusen do not necessarily have or get AMD. In MD age is a factor but by no means the only one, so it would be folly to say that only people over 50 get this condition.

Of course, do have your eyes tested yearly. Try to eat a good diet with plenty of greens and try to live generally as healthy a lifestyle as you can. This is the advice we all get from our ophthalmologists, though there is no absolute proof that it would make any difference, but it is never wrong to follow it. If you notice any sudden deterioration of your eyesight or distorted vision go straight to the eye clinic as short-sighted eyes can develop other problems.

I wish you all the best and especially your wife for the forthcoming event. Concentrate on that and you may find that you forget, or at least push your worries about your eyes into the background; just don't ever be complacent.

[DG34888 in reply to Hidden]

Hi ayayay,

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my message, I really appreciate it.

I'm not sure if you're a therapist, but this is some real solid advice. I will focus on my wife and our future and only worry about the details that I can control (diet). Do you recommend I start taking AREDS (price is no concern) or should I just stick to my daily multivitamin?

Thanks!

[Hidden in reply to DG34888]

Hi DG.

No, I am not a therapist; I was a nurse until I retired over 20 years ago.

As for taking AREDS or other supplements, well, that has to be a personal choice. All I have ever read about its benefits is "There is some evidence...." But that is no proof and rather vague as far as I am concerned. I know that many people do take them. Some clinics recommend them, some do not mention them. We all have to decide for ourselves.

That reminds me of a programme I watched on TV recently regarding the placebo effect. It was quite amazing how powerful it could be since the brain, when stimulated in a certain way, causes the body to release certain chemicals. It actually worked for many of the participants in the trial.

As for myself, going on for 82, I don't take anything, no supplements; medication only when I really, really have to, but I do have treatment for wet AMD. Perhaps I am one of the lucky ones who never had any of the other illnesses associated with ageing. Perhaps my 6 to 8 mile strolls across rough and tumble countryside keeps me out of trouble. But as I said, I would never advice anyone whether to take supplements or not. It has to be a personal choice.