Symptoms of Macular Degeneration

What is Macular Degeneration?

Macular Degeneration or MD, is a widespread eye disease that affects the centre of your vision and can cause vision loss. It is most common in older people, especially people over 50. As many as one in seven people over the age of 50 get this disease. There are two types of Macular Degeneration: dry and wet. 

acupuncture for eye conditions

Dry Macular Degeneration

This type of MD is the most common. It occurs when the retina creates small yellow deposits called drusen which cause the thinning of the macular. The macular is the part of your eye that is responsible for clear vision in your direct line of sight. When the macular becomes thin this causes loss of vision but rarely leads to complete blindness.

Wet Macular Degeneration

Wet Macular Degeneration is less common but often more severe. It is more likely to result in severe vision loss. The wet type of Macular Degeneration is usually caused by abnormal blood vessels in the eye leaking fluid into the macular, resulting in blurred vision or a blind spot in the centre of your vision. Wet Macular Degeneration tends to develop more quickly than dry Macular Degeneration.

What are the Symptoms of Macular Degeneration?

Macular degeneration often affects both eyes which makes it harder for people to recognise symptoms. It is also a progressive disease meaning it gets worse over time.

Macular Degeneration Eye

The symptoms of Dry Macular Degeneration include:

  • Depletion of central vision
  • Seeing distorted or wavy lines in vision
  • Retinal damage
  • Trouble seeing in dim light
  • Difficulty recognising faces
  • Need for brighter lighting
  • Blurry vision

Symptoms of Wet Macular Degeneration

Some symptoms of Wet Macular Degeneration are similar or the same as those of Dry Macular Degeneration. Symptoms such as visual distortions and reduced central vision often occur for both types. Here are some symptoms you may experience if you have Wet Macular Degeneration:

  • Seeing a blurry spot in your vision
  • A dark patch in the middle of your vision because of bleeding
  • Hazy vision
  • Rapidly worsening symptoms

If you notice symptoms of Macular Degeneration you should talk to a health professional and get a diagnosis. Acupuncture may be able to help with treating Macular Degeneration. It may prevent the worsening of symptoms caused by macular degeneration. Call 07 846 7956 to make an appointment with one of our practitioners at Centre of Balance. After a thorough initial exam the practitioner will present you with an individual treatment plan.

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Monica

I am originally from Hebei province in China. I hold a NZ bachelor’s degree of health and science with a major in acupuncture. I am honoured to be an acupuncturist at Centre of Balance. Helping patients to alleviate their pain brings me the greatest joy. Chinese medicine emphasises the unity of human beings and nature. During the treatment, I hope to not only relieve your pain but also help you to understand the principles behind acupuncture’s effectiveness, as well as the significant impact of diet, emotions, lifestyle habits, and living environments on disease recovery. Self-healing is an ability that our bodies are naturally endowed with.

I studied acupuncture in New Zealand and completed one and a half years of supervised clinical internship before graduating. In the early stage of my training, I mainly worked with patients experiencing neck, shoulder, and lower back pain. Under the guidance of senior clinical tutors, I gradually developed hands-on experience and confidence in treating musculoskeletal pain conditions.
As my clinical exposure expanded, I began treating a wider range of internal conditions. Alongside traditional acupuncture, I was introduced to Umbilical Acupuncture and Tungs-acupuncture Points. What interested me most about these approaches is that they often do not require needling directly at the painful area, yet can still achieve very effective results.
I was especially inspired by observing my supervisor use Umbilical Acupuncture to treat common conditions such as insomnia, menstrual irregularities, and even rheumatoid arthritis, with very positive outcomes. Another supervisor was highly skilled in Tungs-acupuncture Points and achieved excellent results in treating pain, infertility, menstrual disorders, and a variety of women’s health conditions. After completing my studies and entering clinical practice, once I observed Dr. Szenan Phua using Tungs-acupuncture points to help cancer patients relieve pain, which further strengthened my trust in this treatment method.
I later completed training in Dr. Tan Balance Acupuncture, which had a strong influence on the way I approach treatment. One of the most noticeable features of this method is how quickly patients often feel improvement, especially with pain conditions. Dr. Szenan Phua’s New Balance Acupuncture combines meridian regulation with structural adjustment and internal organ balancing, including techniques such as pulse balancing and spinal adjustment.
From my clinical experience, pain is rarely just a local issue. It often involves underlying organ weakness or structural imbalance. When these aspects are addressed together, treatment can be more thorough and longer-lasting. I also apply this approach to internal conditions, particularly in fertility and women’s health. This includes supporting natural conception, IVF preparation and embryo transfer, pregnancy support, early-pregnancy nausea, and late-pregnancy labour induction. I combine these treatments with concepts learned from a few additional fertility training, which has given me a broader and more flexible clinical perspective. This has reinforced my belief that acupuncture should be adapted to each individual rather than applied through fixed formulas.
Two other areas of study that have been very helpful in my clinical work are Tongue Diagnosis and Dr. Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture. Although tongue diagnosis is taught in my standard Chinese medicine training, further study allowed me to deepen and refine my diagnostic skills.
My first formal training was in Li’s Tongue Diagnosis, which looks not only at organ patterns, but also at how different areas of the tongue reflect the body’s structure. This system also explores personality traits and changes during pregnancy, making it both clinically useful and engaging. I later attended online lectures on Yin’s Tongue Diagnosis and studied the related materials independently. this learning has helped me make clearer and more accurate pattern differentiation, allowing my acupuncture treatments to be more targeted. It covers a wide range of conditions, including skin disorders, oncology-related presentations, mental health patterns, and joint or limb problems. In practice, tongue observation often provides valuable insight even before a patient begins describing their symptoms.
In addition to the methods above, I regularly use local bloodletting techniques, which can be very effective for improving circulation, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. I also incorporate auricular (ear) acupressure and stimulation, which I commonly use for allergies, insomnia, headaches, stress management, and various internal conditions.
In my clinical work, I value taking the time to listen carefully to each patient and to understand their overall health, lifestyle, and concerns. Based on each individual’s condition, I also provide personalised dietary guidance and lifestyle or wellness advice to support overall health and long-term wellbeing. I commonly support patients with musculoskeletal pain, such as neck, shoulder, knee, and back pain, as well as stress-related conditions, sleep issues, migraines, digestive concerns, and women’s health and fertility-related conditions.