The retina is the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye. In the retina, cells called photo-receptors are stimulated by light and send signals to your brain, generating vision. The central part of your retina, the portion of your eye that is used when looking straight ahead at any object is called the macula. You use the macula to engage in the most challenging visual activities requiring the finest acuities, such as reading and driving.
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in the Western world. Macular degeneration, sometimes known as ARMD (Age-related macular degeneration) occurs in either dry (atrophic) or wet (exudative) forms. This disease only affects the central vision and rarely causes total vision loss.
In the dry (atrophic) type of macular degeneration, the slow deterioration of the retina is coincidental with the formation of small yellow deposits, known as drusen, in the macular region. This accumulation of drusen leads to a thinning of the macular tissues, causing distortions in vision that initially appear as wavelike. The eventual amount of central vision loss is directly related to the location and amount of retinal thinning caused by the drusen.
The exudative, or wet form of the disease, is more aggressive and threatening to one's vision. In the wet type of macular degeneration, abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina and macula through a process called neovascularization. These new blood vessels may bleed and leak fluid, thereby causing the macula to bulge or lift up, distorting or destroying central vision. In these circumstances, vision loss may be rapid and severe.
Much is being done in research toward the treatment of macular degeneration. Unfortunately, no current treatment restores vision already lost. Low Vision Care is particularly useful for macular degeneration patients, due to the symptoms of this eye disease. In this instance, the use of magnification and illumination can prove to be a substantial benefit to patients.
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