Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is an aging change that affects the macular area. Remember that we described the macula as the bulls eye in a target. This area of our retina in responsible for our central vision- what gives us 20/20 acuity. There are 2 types of macular degeneration- Dry and Wet. Each type will cause loss of vision, however, the wet type is more severe. You will not go completely blind with macular degeneration. The center of what you are looking at, either at distance or near, will be missing or blurry while your side vision will still be intact. For example, if your were trying to watch TV, you would not be able to make out any details on TV, however, you could see everything that was around the TV.

Dry macular degeneration is due to a normal aging of retinal tissue and is the more common type. Tissue breaks down over time and the cells don't function as well. This is usually a slow, gradual loss of vision over time.

Wet macular degeneration is a result of abnormal blood vessels growing under the retina. These blood vessels, unlike the normal retinal blood vessels, leak fluid and blood which causes swelling under the retina. This swelling causes the loss of vision and can be rapid and severe.

There are some early signs of macular degeneration. They can be gradual and affect one eye more than the other. Typically, your vision will become wavy and distorted- like if you were looking at a door frame and it appeared crooked. There are special testing grids that you can look at daily to help detect subtle changes- ask your doctor for one.

The best way to tell if you have macular degeneration or not is to have a complete eye exam with a dilation. If a problem is detected, you will be referred to a retinal specialist for further testing and treatment. There is really no scientific proof that any prophylactic treatment will prevent macular degeneration. There is a recent study which did find that in certain subpopulation of macular degeneration patients, antioxidants and minerals in specific amounts and combinations did help reduce the progression of macular degeneration. Be sure to ask your Doctor if you fall into any of these population groups.