What You Should Know About Macular Degeneration?

Answer 1

For many people, macular degeneration is a natural consequence of aging. Macular degeneration refers to the gradual decline in vision quality, specifically, in the center of the field of vision (called the macula), and occurs as a result of damage to the retina. About 10 percent of people aged 66 to 74 experience macular degeneration, and for people over 75 years old, this proportion increases to over 30 percent. Macular degeneration can come in one of two forms: "wet" and "dry." Each type is characterized by a different form of damage leading to the loss of vision.

Dry macular degeneration is caused by damage to the cells beneath the retina, which can kill the rod and cone cells that receive visual information. Unfortunately, no treatment seems to be effective in preventing the death of these cells. However, certain antioxidants can help slow down this process, and in some cases, even slightly improve vision.

Wet macular degeneration is caused by the swelling of certain blood vessels, which creates a leakage of blood and proteins into the macular area. The bleeding and scarring process damages the rod and cone cells, and, if left untreated, can cause rapid damage to vision, unlike the slow progress of dry macular degeneration. This form of the disease can be treated by the direct injection of drugs called anti-angiogenics into the eye. These drugs prevent the growth of blood vessels, so they allow the swollen vessels to retract, and the eye to heal. However, only about 10 percent of all macular degeneration cases are wet, so a cure for most cases has yet to be found

While macular degeneration does not cause complete blindness, there are some symptoms that it is generally associated with. These can include: blurred vision, a decrease in visual acuity, seeing shadows or blind spots in part of the visual field, an increase in peripheral vision (in the wet form), and distorted vision, specifically with regards to seeing straight lines as wavy. Since only about 2 percent of the visual field consists of the macula, most vision is still retained, but the macula is important to sight (for example, it's essential for reading) so consulting an ophthalmologist is crucial if visual changes are noted.