Understanding the Basics of Macular Degeneration

Of all the ailments which affect the elderly, macular degeneration, a disorder of the eye is perhaps one of the most common. Chances are that though we hear about this term, many of us may not have much information about it. However to understand what this disorder is, you have to familiarized yourself with the inner parts of the eye.

The retina, located at the center of the inner lining of the eye, has a particular area called the macula. When a person is suffering from macular degeneration, the macula area may get thinner, become dysfunctional or sometimes may also bleed. It is important to note that it is the macula area of the eye which allows us to see the finer details. So if this condition is neglected, it may lead to loss of vision. In this condition the patient gradually loses the ability to read as well as recognize faces.

This condition is also known by another name: AMD or AMRD – age related macular degeneration. This condition is so rampant that according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, this is a leading cause of blindness in America, affecting mainly people who are over 50 years of age. The Archives of Ophthalmology had estimated in 2004 that there were nearly 1.75 million people who showed symptoms of this condition and this number would rise to nearly 3 million by 2020.

Though the disease is not necessarily painful, the cells in the macula area are destroyed by the onset of the disease. The progress of the condition is so slow that many people do not even realize that they are suffering from this type of eye disorder or that they are not being able to see properly, till the disease has progressed considerably. It is also true that for many elderly people the condition deteriorates very fast and they become completely blind.

There can be two types of macular degeneration – dry and wet, the former being more common than the latter. In fact, close to 85 to 90% people diagnosed with this condition would invariably be suffering from the dry form of the disease. While the appearance of yellowish spots in the retina is the first signs of the dry form, in the wet form, new blood vessels develop in the macula area, causing vision loss.

The other early symptoms of this condition include: blurred or distorted vision and vision obstruction caused by shadowy areas. A qualified eye doctor usually diagnoses this disorder even before its onset simply by examining the retinal condition. Usually the doctor recommends an angiography of the eye if a distorted or blurring of vision is detected.

Interestingly, this condition is more common in whites and in women than men. Who are at risk? Usually it has been attributed to a gene variant called the complement factor H (CFH) and this factor is normally associated to more than half of the blindness that affects old people, suffering from macular degeneration.