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| What is macular degeneration?
Macular degeneration is the deterioration of the center of the retina, called the macula. The macula, about the size of the capital letter O in this paragraph, is responsible for detail, acuity and central vision.
To the right, the top image is what a normal eye sees; the lower image is an example of what someone with macular degeneration may see.
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in people over age 55.Generally, the peripheral vision is spared so some degree of function remains. However, activities such as reading, driving, recognizing faces and fine work are compromised.
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There are two types of macular degeneration. 90 percent of the cases are macular atrophy and thinning, or "dry". The remaining 10 percent have the more severe "wet" type, which involves hemorrhaging in the macula that eventually leads to scar tissue. The top picture to the left shows "dry" macular degeneration, and the bottom shows the "wet" type. At this time, only the hemorrhaging type can be treated with surgery. However, surgery doesn't restore vision, it is performed to reduce further vision loss. |
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| What about other treatments?
Some studies have shown nutrition to play a part. Green, leafy vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli and collard greens, and brightly colored vegetables such as carrots have been known to slow the progress, while diets high in saturated fats have been known to contribute to the progression. Anti-oxidants, vitamins A, C and E have been shown to help, while zinc shows mixed results.
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| What causes macular degeneration?
The root causes are still unknown. Genetics play a part in some cases, but not all. Some definite contributing factors are hypertension, sunlight, and smoking or being exposed to second hand smoke. You should always wear sunglasses with UV protection when outside for more than five minutes.
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| How is macular degeneration detected?
Distortions in vision may be noticed by a patient, or picked up during a routine eye exam by an ophthalmologist. Patients will notice straight lines or objects such as door frames appear crooked. Colors may be less bright, or there may be large missing areas in the central vision.
Floaters, which are dark, moving specks that sometimes move across your line of vision, are not related to macular degeneration.
Your ophthalmologist may notice small, whitish deposits called "drusen" in the macular area. A simple test, called an Amsler Grid, can be performed to assess possible visual changes. While this test is available here on this site, it is only for information purposes, and does not take the place of an exam by an ophthalmologist.
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