Macular Degeneration

Dry Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is a disorder that affects an estimated 12 million Americans.  90 percent of all of the people with macular degeneration have dry macular degeneration.  Dry macular degeneration is also known as atrophic macular degeneration or non neovascular.  If you would like more information about dry macular degeneration, please read on for some fast facts.

First you must understand what macular degeneration is.  Macular degeneration is the end result of various different disorders.  It is when your macula (the light sensing cells at the central region of the retina) malfunctions and slowly dies off.  Central vision is gradually lost, while peripheral vision remains unchanged.

With dry macular degeneration, the retina deteriorates due to the formation of small yellow deposits; know as drusen, that appear under the macula.  This leads to the macula thinning and drying out.  The macula then loses all functionality. The amount of central vision that is lost is directly related to where the location and amount of retinal thinning that is caused by the drusen.

Drusen are an accumulation of acellular, amorphous debris subjacent to the basement membrane of the retinal pigment epithelium.  Almost all people over the age of 50 will have at least 1 small druse in one or both eyes.

Dry macular degeneration is the most common form of macular degeneration.  However, dry macular degeneration can always turn into the less common form:  wet macular degeneration.  Dry macular degeneration is painless, but the results of this disorder can be quite devastating.  Many people are unaware that they have the disorder because it often develops slowly.  It is more common in people over the age of 55.

Some symptoms dry macular degeneration is:  straight lines look distorted, blurring and dim colors in central vision, and a dark or empty area in the center of vision.  You may see straight lines as wavy.  Or, the center of your vision can appear blurry or spotty.  This is due to the macula dying, which leaves blank spots in your vision.  Peripheral vision is rarely affected.

There is no cure for dry macular degeneration.  It is known that age plays a role in it.  This is called age related macular degeneration.  This is because it is very common for older people to get dry macular degeneration.  As you age, the chances of you getting dry macular degeneration increases.  It is also known that there are some genetic mutations that occur in our genes that make it common to pass down dry macular degeneration to people in our gene pool. 

The above were some fast facts about dry macular degeneration.  Hopefully, you now understand this devastating disorder a bit better.  If you think you may have some of the symptoms, please go to your doctor right away.