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Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is damage or breakdown of the macula of the eye. The macula is a small area at the back of the eye that allows us to see fine details clearly. When the macula doesn’t function correctly, we experience blurriness or darkness in the center of our vision.

Although macular degeneration reduces vision in the central part of the retina, it does not affect the eye's side, or peripheral, vision. Macular degeneration alone does not result in total blindness. Most people continue to have some useful vision and are able to take care of themselves.

Many older people develop macular degeneration as part of the body's natural aging process. The two most common types of age-related macular degeneration are "dry" (atrophic) and "wet" (exudative).

Dry

Wet

Most people have "dry" macular degeneration. It is caused by aging and thinning of the tissues of the macula. Vision loss is usually gradual. "Wet" macular degeneration accounts for about 10% of all cases. It results when abnormal blood vessels form at the back of the eye. These new blood vessels leak fluid or blood and blur central vision. Vision loss may be rapid and severe.

Macular degeneration may be hardly noticeable in its early stages. But when both eyes are affected, reading and close work can become difficult. You may experience one or more of the following symptoms:

-Colors look dim.

-Words on a page look blurred.

-Straight lines look distorted, especially toward the center of vision.

-A dark or empty area appears in the center of vision.

Your ophthalmologist (medical eye doctor) can detect earlier stages of macular degeneration during a medical eye examination.

Treatment of the more common "dry" form of macular degeneration focuses on helping a person find ways to cope with visual impairment. Despite ongoing medical research, there is no cure yet for the condition. The Age Related Macular Degeneration study has shown that nutritional supplements slow macular degeneration progression. Various low-vision optical devices can help people to continue with many of their favorite activities.

In its early stages "wet" macular degeneration can be treated with laser surgery, a brief and usually painless out-patient procedure. Laser surgery uses a highly focused beam of light to seal the leaking blood vessels that damage the macula. Although this procedure cannot cure macular degeneration, it can slow the rate of vision loss. Laser surgery leaves a small, permanently dark "blind spot" at the point of laser contact, but the procedure can preserve more sight overall.