What Does Macular Degeneration Look Like?
Early stages present with few noticeable symptoms, but an eye doctor can help spot it sooner. Learn more about macular degeneration, its symptoms, and treatments.
Overview of Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is a vision problem that affects more than 10 million Americans, reports the American Macular Degeneration Foundation. It’s the leading cause of vision loss, even ahead of glaucoma and cataracts. This condition occurs when a part of your retina known as the macula sustains damage. Over time, this damage causes your vision to deteriorate slowly. Even though certain people can retain some of their vision, if you have advanced macular degeneration, you’re considered legally blind, according to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation.
Types of Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration comes in two types, with one being much more common than the other. About 80 percent of patients diagnosed with macular degeneration have dry form, reports the American Academy of Ophthalmology. With dry macular degeneration, the macula gets thinner as you age and clumps of protein begin to form on parts of it. You slowly lose your central vision.
Wet macular degeneration is much less common, but the American Academy of Ophthalmology states that it’s much more serious. In this type, abnormal blood vessels start to grow or develop under the retina and leak fluids. With this type, vision loss occurs much more rapidly.
Stages and Symptoms of Macular Degeneration
With early macular degeneration, many people don’t experience vision loss. It’s often only detectable through a routine eye exam when the ophthalmologist notes medium-sized deposits under the retina, according to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation. During intermediate macular degeneration, you still might not experience symptoms, but you might notice your vision becoming a bit blurry. Vision tests are necessary for diagnosis. With advanced macular degeneration, you experience noticeable vision loss.
Risk Factors for Macular Degeneration
In most instances, macular degeneration is considered an age-related disease. Patients over the age of 55 are at the biggest risk of developing the condition. Other risk factors include:
- Family history of macular degeneration
- Race – Caucasians are more commonly affected than other groups
- Smoking cigarettes
- Overweight/obesity
- Eating a diet high in saturated fat
Treatment Options for Macular Degeneration
Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure for macular degeneration, but doctors are constantly researching possible treatments. Treatment options for dry macular degeneration are limited. Those with wet macular degeneration may benefit from laser surgery to reduce the number of blood vessels and slow how much they leak. Those with dry macular degeneration may be able to slow the progression of the disease through lifestyle changes and supplementation, states the American Macular Degeneration Foundation.