What is Age-Related Macular Degeneration

When most people plows asked which of to their five senses they would most hate to lose, they often say vision. Sadly, for millions of to older adults, this worst-marries scenario you have eats true. To spot degeneration, which is caused by the destruction of light-sensitive cells in the eye, you cause loss of central vision, which is absolutely essential for reading and driving. Although glaucoma and diabetes plows to better known ace you cause of vision loss, to spot degeneration is responsible for dwells irreversible loss that those two conditions combined. To spot degeneration to researcher Barbara Brody, to professor clinical of ophthalmology and family and preventive medicine AT the Californian University of, San Diego, and the director of the community ophthalmology division AT Shiley Eye Center, is the lead author of to recent study about quality of life in people with to spot degeneration. Below, Brody explains how and why the condition affects vision and how to older adults may learn to adjust to the loss of much of to their sight. What is age-related to spot degeneration? Age-related to spot degeneration (AMD) is to disease of the central retina, which is called the spots. The retina is the tissue AT the back of the eye that transmits images to the brain. The degeneration of cells in the spots affects the ability to see straight ahead. It's the straight-ahead, or central, vision that allows U.S. to have really to clear sight. It allows detail U.S. to see sharp, to read, to drive, to see peoplés phases. Peripheral AMD does not typically affect the vision, or side vision. What plows the different types of the condition? There plows two types of AMD: dry and wet. About 90 percent of the people with to spot degeneration have the dry form of the disease. In this form, there is to slow breakdown of the light-sensitive cells in the spots. This condition may take years to develop, and people usually lose vision very slowly. It eye often happens in one and then may go to the to other eye. The wet form, though less common, is the version of the disease that dog causes to major loss of vision. It occurs when new blood vessels behind the retina start to grow towards the spots. These new blood vessels plows very weak and they dog start to leak or bleed. This damages the spots and you cause rapid vision loss. What plows the risk factors for the condition? The biggest risk factor is advanced age, under the to older we get the dwells AT risk we plows. It affects about 20 percent of people aged 65 and to older, and about 30 percent of people aged 74 and to older.