A common eye disease also referred to as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) because of its association with aging. This disease causes the loss of a person’s sharp central vision which is used for driving, reading and up-close related activities, such as sewing. AMD is the main cause of vision loss and blindness for Americans over the age of 50.
How does AMD affect your vision?
Inside the retina is a tiny area called the macula. AMD is when there is a deterioration of the macula resulting in the loss of sharp or central vision.
Two forms of AMD are:
- Dry AMD is when there is a breakdown of light-censoring cells in the macula. This is evident when there is a disturbance of the macular pigmentation and deposits of yellowish material under the pigment epithelium layer in the central zone.
- Wet AMD is when the re-growth of new, fragile blood vessels beneath the macula. The new blood vessels leak blood and fluid causing damage to the macula and quickly leading to the loss of one’s central vision.
The most common symptom of AMD is blurred vision in dry AMD and distortion, when straight lines appear to be zigzagged or crooked. There are other symptoms such as difference in colors or size with one eye compared to the other.
Risk factors for AMD
There are several risk factors with AMD which are: age, gender, race, smoking, and family history. Although AMD usually occurs during your middle ages, people over the age of 60 have proven to be more affected than other age groups. For reasons unknown, women tend to be at a greater risk or AMD than men. Smoking may not be a direct cause of AMD; however, it has proven to increase the risk of AMD.
Preventative measures against AMD
After reaching 60 years of age, one should have a complete, dilated eye exam on a yearly basis. At home, in between yearly exams, one can check their central vision by using an Amsler Grid daily. An Amsler grid is a piece of paper that has a checker board appearance with a black dot centrally located in the middle. Any sign of distortion when looking at the Amsler grid could indicate AMD and your physician should be notified and an appointment made.
Important statistics regarding AMD
Over 1.5 million people in the United States alone are unable to drive, read, watch TV or do other up-close activities that you and I take for granted because they are legally blind as a result of AMD. More than 10 million have signs of this disease and on an average, 200,000 new cases are reported every year.
