Macular Degeneration

Overview

Macular Degeneration, also called Age-related Macular Degeneration or AMD, is a disease that damages the macula, a small part of the retina and the part of the eye that sends vision signals to the brain. Because AMD damages the part of the eye responsible for straight-forward, sharp vision, a person with AMD often has trouble seeing directly ahead. The disease seems to be somewhat hereditary, but additional factors such as high cholesterol and cigarette smoking may also speed the onset or increase the severity of the disease.

Prevalence

A very small percentage of people in their 50s develop this illness, but as age increases, the percentage dramatically increases. Among people over 65 in the US, the early stages of Macular Degeneration affect between 3.5 and 10 million people.

Types

Dry (nonneovascular) AMD: About 90% of the people who are affected seriously by AMD have this form of the illness. In Dry AMD, the cells under the retina stop working properly, causing the light-detecting cells above that layer to stop malfunction. This form first produces subtle spots, and then overt black dots in the center of the visual range.

Wet (neovascular) AMD: While less prevalent than the dry form, Wet AMD is generally more serious, causing 90% of the cases of legal blindness that result from AMD. In wet AMD, delicate blood vessels grow under the retina, leaking blood and fluid into the macula, causing scarring. Damage from the scar tissue can happen extremely rapidly, often in a few days or weeks time.

Prevention/Treatment

There is no known treatment for Macular Degeneration. Some studies have suggested that certain vitamins and minerals can slow or prevent the vision loss. Some patients with Wet AMD can be treated with laser surgery to confine the damage. There is also research being conducted in the areas of photodynamic therapy, as well as more research into which vitamins and minerals can help prevent the damage.