What is Macular Degeneration?

Macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss for adults age 50 and older, is the loss of your central vision.  It refers to the "macula" - the tiny part of your retina that's responsible for sharp central vision. Your ability to read fine print, drive or work on hobbies is usually affected, but your peripheral (side) vision is not affected.

The disease affects one eye before progressing to the second.  It may progress quickly or gradually.

Wet macular degeneration - small blood vessels grow under the retina (the light-sensitive area at the back of your eye) and break, leaking into the surrounding area and causing distorted vision and scar tissue. 

Who is at risk?

Your risk of getting macular degeneration increases with age. In fact, it is the leading cause of blindness in people age 75 and older.  It may also be related to heredity, arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) or eye trauma.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of macular degeneration include:

• Distorted vertical lines - wavy-looking side of buildings or telephone poles
• Blurry type - parts of a printed page look blurred or dark
• Loss of color vision
• Inability to see objects in the center of your field of vision

Symptoms usually get worse over time as the disease progresses.

How is it detected?

Your eye doctor can detect glaucoma from the following tests

• Ophthalmoscopy - a magnifier and light are used to examine your retina after your eyes are dilated
• Visual Fields test - evaluates your central and/or peripheral vision
• Fluorescein Angiography - injection of fluorescein dye into the blood vessels of the eye to make them visible followed by photographs of the eyes

How is it treated?

At this point, no medications are available to treat the disease.  Some cases of wet macular degeneration can be treated by laser therapy when caught early.  The laser seals off the leaky blood vessels at the back of the eye with a beam of concentrated light.

Low vision aids - people can use glasses, magnifiers, telescopes, lamps, closed circuit TVs and large print books to make the best use of their remaining vision.  These aids can be found both at retail outlets and low vision centers. Dr. Baer or Dr. Hartzell will advise you about the best treatment for you.