What is macular degeneration?
Definition Macular degeneration is the progressive deterioration of a critical region of the retina called the macula. The macula is a 3-5 mm area in the retina that is responsible for central vision. This disorder leads to irreversible loss of central vision, although peripheral vision is retained. In the early stages, vision may be gray, hazy, or distorted. Description Macular degeneration is the most common cause of legal blindness in people over 60, and accounts for approximately 11.7% of blindness in the United States. About 28% of the population over age 74 is affected by this disease. Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is the most common form of macular degeneration. It is also known as age-related maculopathy (ARM), aged macular degeneration, and senile macular degeneration. Approximately 10 million Americans have some vision loss that is due to ARMD. ARMD is subdivided into a dry (atrophic) and a wet (exudative) form. The dry form is more common and accounts for 70-90% of
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of impaired reading or detailed vision. It is caused by the breakdown of the macula. The macula is a very small area of the retina, which is responsible for central vision and color vision. It allows us to read, drive and perform detailed work. Surrounding the macula is the peripheral retina, which is responsible for side vision and night vision. Although macular degeneration causes distortion of central and color vision, side vision is not affected. What Causes Macular Degeneration? Macular degeneration is most commonly a natural result of the aging process. With time, the retinal tissues break down and become thin, and cause a loss of function of the macula. The most notable symptom is blurry or distorted central vision. Difficulty in reading, doing close work, or driving may also be noticed. A person with macular degeneration may experience blurry words on a page, distortion of the center of the scene, a dark or empty area in the center of v
In macular degeneration, the light-sensing cells of the macula mysteriously malfunction and may over time cease to work. Macular degeneration occurs most often in people over 60 years old, in which case it is called Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD). Much less common are several hereditary forms of macular degeneration, which usually affect children or teen-agers. Collectively, they are called Juvenile Macular Degeneration. They include Best’s Disease, Stargardt’s Disease, Sorsby’s Disease and some others.
