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The macula is the part of the retina that has the straight ahead good vision. Macular degeneration is a disease in which the macula degenerates. This disease is much more common in White people. It's also six times more common among smokers than nonsmokers. |
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The most common type is called "Dry" Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD). Ninety percent of people with ARMD have the dry form, in which there are pigmentary changes and/or degenerative spots called drusen within the mac ula. The top picture shows advanced Dry ARMD. As these degenerations get worse, straight ahead vision becomes less clear. There is no treatment for this disease, however some studies indicate nutritional supplements may be a benefit. If you or someone in your family has ARMD, talk to your doctor about supplements. This may be very important.
Ten percent of people with ARMD develop the "wet" form of the disease and 90% of them end up with legal blindness. In these cases, blood vessels grow into the macula and then hemorrhage (See the lower picture). This significantly reduces straight ahead vision. The wet form is often treatable if caught soon enough. This is sometimes treated with a lazer. The newest treatment is injections of drugs into the affected eye that slow or stop new vessels from growing.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the #1 cause of irreversible legal blindness among the White population. Glaucoma is #1 in the Black and Asian populations and diabetic retinopathy is #1 in the Hispanic population. The prevalence, incidence, and progression of AMD increases significantly with age.