Total Vision Eyecare
Age-Related Macular Degeneration:
AMD is a common eye disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision. Central vision is needed for seeing objects clearly and for common daily tasks such as reading and driving. In some people, AMD advances so slowly that it will have little effect on their vision as they age. But in others, the disease progresses faster and may lead to a loss of vision in one or both eyes.
Types of AMD
Dry and wet are the two forms of AMD.
Ninety people have dry AMD. Scientists are still not sure what causes this. Studies suggest that an area of the retina becomes diseased, leading to slow breakdown of the light-sensing cells in the macula and a gradual loss of central vision.
Wet AMD affects only ten percent of all people with AMD, but accounts for ninety percent of all blindness from the disease. As dry AMD worsens, new blood vessels may begin to grow and cause "wet" AMD. Because these new blood vessels tend to be fragile, they often leak blood and fluid under the macula. This causes rapid damage to the macula that can lead to the loss of central vision in a short period of time.
AMD and Age
Age is the greatest risk factor associated with AMD. Although AMD may occur during middle age, studies clearly show that people over age 60 at greater risk.
Symptoms
There is no pain associated with AMD. The most common early sign of dry AMD is blurred vision. Often blurred vision will go away in brighter light. If the loss of these light-sensing cells becomes great, people may see a small - but growing - blind spot in the middle of their field of vision. The classic early symptom of wet AMD is when straight lines appear crooked. This results when fluid from the leaking blood vessels gathers and lifts the macula, distorting vision. A small blind spot may also appear in wet AMD, resulting in loss of one's central vision.
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