Do You Go Blind With Macular Degeneration

In the u s macular degeneration affects nearly 10 million people.

Do you go blind with macular degeneration.

The patients lose their ability to take part in activities. You will be able to walk around dress yourself and do most daily tasks. There are several factors both controllable and uncontrollable that may put you at risk of macular degeneration. In the dry form of the disease which is the most common form the damage begins with accumulations of yellow deposits below the retina known as drusen.

In fact the majority of patients with age related macular degeneration maintain functional vision. Age related macular degeneration is a disease that affects vision due to damage to the central part of the retina. Many patients are frightened of losing vision or going blind when they are told they have age related macular degeneration amd. Around the macula is the retina responsible for side vision peripheral vision.

Age related macular degeneration amd is caused by changes beneath the sensitive tissues that communicate with your optic nerve and allow you to see. No one will ever go completely blind from macular degeneration. Amd affects only the central vision. 03 13 2013 macular degeneration is a chronic disease it can cause a sharp decline in the central visual acuity and central vision is required for daily activities.

Scheie eye institute university of pennsylvania. Patients with macular degeneration lose their central vision. For instance a large study found that people in middle age have about a 2 percent risk of getting amd but this risk increased to nearly 30 percent in those over age 75 facts about 2009. Although most cases of wet macular degeneration are due to genetics there are a number of lifestyle and dietary factors that can affect the risk of developing the dry form of the eye disease.

Macular degeneration alone does not cause total blindness. Although amd may occur earlier studies indicate that people over age 60 are at greater risk than those in younger age groups. However although the disease may cause blindness it s not guaranteed. This includes reading facial recognition seeing objects in fine detail and driving.

The side vision lets you know what is around you. You will never go totally blind from amd. Fortunately most patients with amd can keep good vision for their entire lives and even those who lose their central vision almost always maintain their side or peripheral vision. Even in the worst cases macular degeneration only affects the central vision and leaves the peripheral vision intact.

According to chip goehring founder and president of the american macular degeneration foundation he is living proof that by eating right and taking proper preventative measures you can still keep your sight even 20 years after being diagnosed with amd.