Macular edema is swelling or thickening of the eye’s macula, the part of your eye responsible for detailed, central vision. There are many causes of macular edema. It is frequently associated with diabetes, where damaged blood vessels in the retina begin to leak fluids, including small amounts of blood, into the retina. Sometimes deposits of fats may leak inside the retina. This leakage causes the macula to swell.
If you have been diagnosed with macular edema due to diabetes or retinal vein occlusion, medications such as AVASTIN® (bevacizumab), LUCENTIS® (ranibizumab), or EYLEA® (aflibercept) can be injected into the eye or focal laser treatment can be used to reduce swelling of the macula. The main goal of treatment is to stabilize vision by stabilizing leaking blood vessels that interfere with the proper function of the macula.