What is Macular Degeneration?

Posted on February 15, 2008 in Latest News

Macular degeneration is a medical condition which affects the centre of the inner lining of the eye. This area, known as the macula of the retina undergoes thinning and in some cases leads to bleeding. In other words, this is a disease that destroys your sharp, central vision. You need central vision to see objects clearly and to do tasks such as reading and driving.

Often called AMD or ARMD, this condition is predominantly seen in elderly adults. In some cases, AMD advances so slowly that people notice little change in their vision. In others, the disease progresses faster and may lead to a loss of vision in both eyes.

Symptoms

Diagnosis

Macular degeneration is diagnosed as either dry (non-neovascular) or wet (neovascular). Neovascular refers to growth of new blood vessels in an area, such as the macula, where they are not supposed to be. The dry form is more common than the wet, with about 85%-90% of AMD patients diagnosed with dry AMD. The wet form of the disease usually leads to more serious vision loss.

Treatment

Treatments for macular degeneration depend on whether the disease is in its early stage or dry form or more advanced, wet form that can lead to serious vision loss. Treatment however does not involve restoration of vision.

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