The macula is the part of the retina that helps us see fine detail, faraway objects, and color. Macular edema happens when abnormal fluid builds up in the macula, making it swell. It is typically caused by increased leakage from damaged retinal blood vessels or growth of abnormal blood vessels in the retina.
It’s a painless condition and usually asymptomatic in the early stages. Patients may later develop
The macular edema may take up to a month to approximately four months to go away.
If left untreated, chronic macular edema can lead to irreversible damage of the macula and permanent vision loss. Otherwise macular edema is treatable.
Rarely, macular edema will go away on its own. However, if you have symptoms of macular edema, it’s important that you see an ophthalmologist right away. If left untreated, macular edema can cause severe vision loss and even blindness. There are several treatment options available for macular edema.
Macular edema is reversible in the early stages but chronic edema may lead to irreversible changes in the retina.
