What is a common treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD)?

Laser surgery is a common treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) because it can help to slow down the progression of the disease and manage the symptoms. In AMD, particularly the wet form, abnormal blood vessel growth can lead to rapid vision loss. Laser surgery can be employed to aim at these abnormal blood vessels to either destroy them or create a barrier, thus preventing further leakage and damage to the retina.

This treatment is typically a part of a broader management strategy that may include other approaches like anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) injections, which target the underlying mechanisms of wet AMD, but the direct method of using laser surgery is well-established in clinical practice.

Other treatment alternatives such as oral medications, antiviral medication, or topical antibiotics do not address the causes or effects of AMD effectively and are therefore not commonly utilized for this condition. Oral medications might be more relevant for systemic conditions, antiviral medications target viral infections, and topical antibiotics are specific to bacterial infections, none of which would be appropriate in managing AMD specifically.