About Age Related Macular Degeneration

If you imagine the structure of the eye, it is really like a ball where the pupil, situated at the frontal portion, permits light to get in. At the back of the pupil, there is a lens which helps in focusing this light on the retina - which is situated at the back of the eye. Macula is an area which is situated right at the center of the retina. This area is very critical to our overall power of vision, as it enables us to decipher the fine prints and other minute details.

The retina performs an important function, in the sense that it translates the incoming light into perceptible light signals and images which finally reaches our brain to be understood. As we age, the macula area can get degenerated, resulting in our inability to see clearly and perform normal tasks like driving or reading. The condition is called age related macular degeneration. This painless eye disorder takes away our ability to see sharp as it destroys the central vision abilities.

Most of the time, you cannot even make out the presence of age related macular degeneration or AMD in short. It creeps in unnoticeably and the affected people can hardly notice their altered vision. In some people AMD moves in very fast and causes blindness. AMD has been recognized as the number one cause of blindness in America, especially for people who are above 60 years of age. There can be two types of AMD - wet and dry. The cause of Wet AMD is abnormal growth of blood vessels at the back of the retina. Not only can this unscheduled growth displace the macula, these blood vessels are very delicate and can burst to ooze out blood or fluid. Wet macular degeneration destroys vision extremely fast. Also referred to as advanced AMD, the first signs of the wet form is when you see a wavy pattern with otherwise normal straight lines.

The dry macular degeneration on the other hand is caused when the cells in the macula area get damaged or destroyed. It starts with blurred vision and as the disease progresses a spot occurs in the line of vision. People affected with this type of macular degeneration find it difficult to recognize faces and read, unless provided with extra bright light. This type of disorder can affect both the eyes. Drusen are perhaps the most common early signs of dry AMD. These are yellow colored spots found below the retina. An exhaustive eye examination can detect the presence of drusen in the eye. Between the two types of age related macular degeneration maximum numbers of people get affected by dry AMD.

While advancing age is considered to be the most important risk factor in AMD, smoking, obesity, race (whites are more prone), family history, gender (women are more at risk) are other factors for developing the disorder. Eating a healthy and balanced diet containing green vegetables and fish is considered to be beneficial in minimizing the risk. Also quitting smoking and keeping blood pressure under control are recommended.