Anti-VEGF Injections: What They Are, How They Work, and What You Need to Know

When anti-VEGF injections, a class of treatments that block vascular endothelial growth factor to stop abnormal blood vessel growth in the eye. Also known as VEGF inhibitors, they are now the first-line therapy for several leading causes of vision loss. These injections don’t cure the underlying disease, but they stop it from getting worse—often restoring some vision in people who would otherwise go blind.

VEGF is a protein your body makes naturally to help grow new blood vessels. That’s fine when you’re healing a cut. But in conditions like wet macular degeneration, a disease where leaky blood vessels grow under the retina and damage central vision, or diabetic retinopathy, eye damage caused by high blood sugar that triggers abnormal vessel growth, VEGF becomes dangerous. Too much of it causes fragile, leaky vessels that bleed or swell the retina. Anti-VEGF drugs like ranibizumab, aflibercept, and bevacizumab bind to VEGF and shut it down. The result? Less bleeding, less swelling, and often sharper vision.

These aren’t pills or eye drops. They’re injected directly into the eye, usually every 4 to 8 weeks at first. It sounds scary, but the procedure takes less than 10 minutes and uses numbing drops. Most people feel only slight pressure. Side effects are rare but can include temporary eye redness, floaters, or a tiny risk of infection. The real challenge isn’t the shot—it’s sticking with the schedule. Missing appointments lets VEGF creep back, and vision gains can disappear.

What’s surprising is how widely these injections are used beyond the eye. The same VEGF-blocking mechanism is used in cancer treatments, but in the eye, the doses are tiny and localized. That’s why they’re so safe compared to systemic versions. Studies show over 90% of patients with wet macular degeneration stabilize or improve their vision after a year of regular injections. For diabetic retinopathy, they reduce the need for laser surgery by half.

Not everyone responds the same. Some people need fewer shots after a few months. Others need them for years. That’s why tracking your vision at home with an Amsler grid is so important—it catches changes early. And if one drug stops working, doctors can switch to another. There’s no single best option—it’s about finding what works for your body.

Below, you’ll find real-world advice from people who’ve been through these injections, stories from those who avoided vision loss by starting early, and clear breakdowns of the most common drugs used. You’ll also see how these treatments connect to broader topics like medication safety, drug interactions, and why following through with treatment matters more than you think.