MACULAR DEGENERATION

Macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness is people over age 55, affecting 10 million Americans each year. It can also been found in children, though juvenile macular degeneration is relatively rare.

Macular degeneration is a term used to describe a variety of diseases that cause the deterioration of the critical center of the retina, where the images seen by the eye are recorded and sent to the optic nerve.

There are two types of age-related macular degeneration:

• Dry macular degeneration: The dry form of this disease can start with multiple small, round, yellow-white spots (drusen) located in the back of the eye on the outer retina. More pronounced pigment changes can happen later. It is possible to have good vision and no symptoms of macular degeneration even when these spots exist with dry macular degeneration.
• Wet macular degeneration: Although not as common as the dry form, wet macular degeneration is more serious and accounts for two-thirds of the cases of severe vision loss from the disease. In the wet form, abnormal blood vessels develop and grow under the center of the retina. These blood vessels bleed which scars the retina, distorting vision or destroying central vision.