Macular Degeneration Symptoms

Macula is an oval shaped, highly pigmented yellow spot near the center of the retina in the human eye. This spot is responsible for the direct or central vision but not the peripheral vision. Any damage caused to this part can cause blurriness or loss of central vision, but the peripheral vision remains intact. This loss of central vision due to gradual damage caused to the macula is called macular degeneration. This disease is mainly age related and in rare cases, it can affect younger people too. Usually, this condition develops after the age of 50 and if left untreated, it can lead to permanent loss of vision. As this disease is rare in young people, the term 'macular degeneration' is generally used to denote the age related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD).

The initial stages of macular degeneration are characterized by small round yellow spots, called 'drusen', in the macula and behind the retina. This condition can lead to advanced AMD, with more and more drusen causing disturbances to the pigmented layer behind the macula. There are two forms of advanced AMD - the dry form and the wet form. In the dry form (central geographic atrophy), gradual damage is caused to the cells in the macula, which results in the slow deterioration of central vision. The wet form (Neovascular or exudative AMD) of macular degeneration is caused by the abnormal growth of blood vessels behind the retina. The leakage of blood from these vessels under the macula leads to damage of its cells and thereby causes impairment to central vision. Those with the dry form of this disease, experience gradual loss of central vision, whereas, the wet form may cause rapid loss of central vision.

Almost 90% of AMD accounts to the dry form, but the wet form is more advanced and severe. Even though the main factor leading to this disease is age, smoking, heredity and obesity can also be associated with this it. Let us take a look at the various symptoms of macular degeneration.

• The central and distant vision become blurred. This condition may not be noticed until both the eyes are affected badly. If only one eye is affected, the other one compensates for the damage and leaves the patient unaware of the disease.
• Central scotomas or blind spots, which is the result of complete damage to the macula and cause shadows in central vision.
• Another symptom is distorted vision, otherwise known as metamorphopsia. In this case, straight lines look bent or wavy and sometimes a part of the grid may appear blank.
• Difficulty in distinguishing colors, especially between light colors and between dark colors. Objects may appear in different sizes, shapes and colors in each eye.
• Swelling or bulging of the macula, characterized by micropsia (objects appearing smaller in one eye than the other).
• Exposure to bright light may cause an impairment to the visual function for some time.

Apart from the above said symptoms, if you are experiencing difficulty in adapting to low lights or in recognizing faces; if you need bright light for reading or if the printed words appear blurred, then consult an ophthalmologist at the earliest. These symptoms may indicate the possibility of mascular degeneration.

Macular degeneration can cause inability in reading, driving and in recognizing faces. Many adaptive devices like magnifying glasses and desktop and portable electronic devices are available for people suffering from this disease. Macular degeneration can be prevented to some extent, by not smoking and following a diet rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc. The nutrients found in green vegetables such as Kale, Spinach, Collards, spices such as Saffron and egg yolk also helps fight this disease. Some studies show that consuming spinach or collard greens, five times a week, cuts the risk of macular degeneration by 43%. Try to curb this disease by including green vegetables in your diet and on experiencing any of the above said symptoms, approach your doctor to prevent further complications.