What is Macular Degeneration - Age Related Macular Degeneration Explained
6 videos • 1,240 views • by Doctor Eye Health Age related macular degeneration is a major cause of blindness and since February is Macular Degeneration awareness month, I wanted to share some information about it. Age related macular degeneration or “AMD” or “ARMD” is an eye disease that affects the retina in the back of the eye. It is where the area of the retina that is most responsible for critical, high definition vision, called the macula, begins to degenerate. As the name implies, age-related macular degeneration is “age related” and chances of developing the disease increases from the age of about 50+. There are two forms of the disease. There is Wet age related macular degeneration and there is dry age related macular degeneration. Dry macular degeneration is often characterized by the presence of small protein growths within the retina called drusen. As drusen builds up, the retina begins to atrophy and form what is called geographic atrophy. People with dry AMD often experience blurred vision and even loss of central vision in the end stage of the disease. Vision loss from wet macular degeneration is usually more severe and occurs more rapidly than the dry form. Wet macular degeneration is when new blood vessels from the choroid (a thin meshwork of blood vessels and tissue behind the retina) grow into the retina and leak blood and fluid. This leakage of fluid causes swelling and distortion to the retina and can lead to permanent vision loss.