Macular Degeneration – Common Reasons Why We All Get It

The treatment of macular degeneration is becoming increasingly important in people over fifty. Macular generation is a common cause of vision loss in middle-aged people. The macula is the dominant part of the retina.

The macula is responsible for facilitating central vision in our eyes. Macular generation usually occurs after the age of 60 and is known as age-related macular degeneration. In most cases, it is a painless condition and occurs in both eyes.

Lifestyle factors are the main reason behind the increase in macular degeneration in humans.

For example, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, etc. can increase the risk of macular degeneration. With that in mind, let's take a look at the different aspects of macular degeneration.

An overview of macular degeneration

Macular degeneration is an eye disease that is usually related to aging. Macular degeneration constantly blurs central vision, resulting in gradual loss of vision. Note that the macula is responsible for processing detailed images.

When the macula is damaged, daily activities such as reading and driving a car can become popular. Your central vision is what you see sideways when you look straight ahead. It is worth noting that macular degeneration does not lead to blindness.

This is because it doesn't affect your peripheral vision. In the early stages, macular degeneration shows no symptoms. This is why people do not suspect that they have this eye condition. Now you know what macular degeneration is. Let's take a look at their types and symptoms.

Types of Macular Degeneration You Should Know About

There are two types of macular degeneration that you should be aware of. They are as follows:

Dry macular degeneration

This type of macular degeneration is the most common. Almost 80% of people who suffer from macular degeneration have a dry form. The exact reason for the occurrence of dry macular degeneration is still unknown.

However, researchers believe that genetic and environmental factors are primarily responsible for dry macular degeneration.

The dry form of macular degeneration occurs when the light-sensitive cells in the macula break down. The loss of vision in this condition is quite slow and gradual. Age-related damage to a crucial supporting membrane contributes to the dry form of macular degeneration.

Wet macular degeneration

Note that the wet form of macular degeneration is less common. At the same time, however, it leads to severe loss of vision in patients compared to dry macular degeneration. Wet macular degeneration is the leading cause of severe vision loss.

Wet macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina. With wet macular degeneration, there is an increased risk of blood and fluid leakage. The wet form of macular degeneration is much worse as it creates a large blind spot in the center of your field of vision.

Symptoms of Macular Degeneration

In fact, macular degeneration is a progressive eye disease. In simple terms, macular degeneration just gets worse over time. With macular degeneration, it is quite common not to notice any vision problems in the early stages.

That's why; If you are in the earlier stages of macular degeneration you may not have any symptoms. The first symptom you may notice is a sudden or gradual change in the quality of your eyesight. You may also find that straight lines appear imprecise to your eyes.

Over time, this can lead to severe vision loss. As mentioned earlier, there are two forms of macular degeneration.

Here are the symptoms associated with both of these types of macular degeneration.

The symptoms of dry macular degeneration are as follows:

Reduction of the central vision
Blurring sometimes
Adjustment difficulties in poor lighting conditions
Inaccuracy of straight lines in your field of view
Damage to the retina
Problems related to recognizing people's faces

Note that some symptoms of wet macular degeneration are similar to dry macular degeneration.

Here are the signs of wet macular degeneration to look out for.

A blurry spot that lingers in your field of vision
Extremely blurred vision
The symptoms of vision loss gradually worsen
A blurry spot in the central field of vision of your eye

Compared to dry macular degeneration, wet macular degeneration progresses much faster. Contact an ophthalmologist if you experience the above symptoms.

Treatment of wet macular degeneration

The best treatment for wet macular degeneration is to see a low vision rehab specialist. The specialist can guide you on how to adapt to and manage vision loss. The ophthalmologist can also inject drugs directly into your eyes to stop the growth of blood vessels.

Treatment of dry macular degeneration

Consulting a specialist in visual impairment rehabilitation is probably the best treatment for dry macular degeneration. In addition, the ophthalmologist may ask you to have an operation.

Let's hope that you are now aware of the causes and treatment options related to macular degeneration.

About the author:

Deborah Stephens is an aspiring ophthalmologist born in Miami, Florida. She graduated from the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute. She has a passion for writing on the latest topics related to eye problems.