MACULAR DEGENERATION SYMPTOMS

We all grow older and as we do our eyes age with our bodies. Therefore it is important to know about the risks we may encounter and what are the macular degeneration symptoms.

Which raises the question, "what can I do to stop macular degeneration". Another being,"age related macular degeneration average age of development is what?".

One common eye condition linked to us getting older is macular degeneration. As it is linked to the fact we get older it is often called AMD or age related macular degeneration.

Sometimes the cells of the macula can become damaged and or stop working. There are different conditions which can cause this.

There are two types of AMD. These are usually referred to as wet or dry. This is not a description of how the eye feels, but what the ophthalmologist (eye specialist) can see when looking at the macula.

The deterioration results in blurred central vision. You may also notice a blind spot in the center of your vision field.

There are two kinds of AMD - Dry and Wet

Wet AMD can develop fairly quickly but can sometimes respond to treatment if caught in the early stages of the condition.

The wet condition results in new blood vessels growing behind the retina, this can cause scarring and bleeding. This can lead to the loss of sight.

This is the most severe but fortunately, the least prevalent. It accounts for about 10 per cent of all people with AMD.

When you have wet AMD there is a significant visual distortion where straight lines appear to be wavy or crooked. Objects may appear to be smaller or even farther away than they actually are. There may also be a central vision loss, characterized by a central blurry spot.

Dry AMD is the most common of the two. this condition will develop more slowly causing a gradual loss of central vision. With the dry macular degeneration, patients have noticed that it becomes more difficult to adjust to low levels of illumination. Printed words will become blurred, colors seem less bright or intense and they may encounter problems in recognizing faces.

Both wet and dry AMD will usually involve both eyes, but one may be affected before the other eye.

This can sometimes make it difficult to notice at first, as the sight in the good eye will compensate for the affected eye.

You cannot wear your sight out, so continue to use your good eye as normal.

One good thing is that AMD is not painful. It almost never leads to total blindness.

It is one of the most common cause of poor eye sight in people over the age of 60. Again very rarely will it lead to complete loss of sight. As only the central vision is affected.

This means that almost everyone with AMD will have enough side or peripheral vision to see so will be able to keep his/her independence.

MACULAR DEGENERATION SYMPTOMS

One of the early macular degeneration  symptoms is blurry vision. In the early stages your central vision may become blurred or distorted, objects will look unusual in size or shape, straight lines may appear wavy or fuzzy. This is illustrated in the above diagram.

Another one of the macular degeneration symptoms is that you may become sensitive to light. You may even see lights, shapes or colors that are not there.

Because AMD affects the centre of the retina, people with the advanced condition will often notice a blank patch or dark spot in the centre of their sight. A representation of this is shown in the picture at the top of this page.

One of the early macular degeneration symptoms is that you may need more light for reading and other tasks.

Another one of the macular degeneration symptoms is that images appear more gray in color and colors are not as bright.

WHAT CAN I DO TO STOP MACULAR DEGENERATION

Experts are not sure at the moment of the exact cause for AMD. They have however identified a number of risk factors.

AGE

AMD is an age related condition so as we grow older the condition can become more likely.

Sunlight

Research has suggested that a lifetime exposure to sunlight may affect the retina. Always wear sunglasses to protect your eyes.

Gender

Women seem to be more likely to develop AMD than men.

Smoking

This has been linked to the development of AMD. The good news is, its been shown that if you stop smoking you can reduce the risk of AMD developing.

Genetics.  There seem to be some genes which can be passed through families which may indicate whether someone will get AMD or not.

Nutrition

Vitamins and minerals can help protect against AMD.

We can not stop ageing or our gender and the genes we inherit. It may be possible to control the other factors that seem to be linked to AMD though.

DO I HAVE MACULAR DEGENERATION

If you think you may have AMD but you have no sudden macular degeneration symptoms, go and see your optometrist (optician) or your doctor. As a precaution they should refer you to an eye specialist for checks.

If you do have a rapid change in your vision, you should consult your doctor or hospital immediately.

If you do have AMD in one eye and you start getting symptoms in your other eye, again you should go to your hospital or ask your doctor to arrange an emergency appointment, as soon as possible.

There is currently no cure for AMD, if it is chronic. So do not delay this as you will need to be treated as soon as possible.