At Mayo Clinic, we take the time to listen, to find answers and to provide you the best care.
Dry macular degeneration is a chronic eye disease that causes vision loss in the center of your field of vision. Dry macular degeneration is marked by deterioration of the macula (MAK-u-luh), which is in the center of the retina. The layer of tissue on the inside back wall of your eyeball.
Dry macular degeneration is one of two types of age-related macular degeneration. The other type — wet macular degeneration — is characterized by blood vessels that grow under the retina in the back of the eye, leaking blood and fluid. Dry macular degeneration is the more common form of the disease.
Dry macular degeneration may worsen your quality of life by causing blurred central vision or a blind spot in your central vision. You need clear central vision for many tasks, such as reading, driving and recognizing faces.
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Dry macular degeneration symptoms usually develop gradually. You may notice these vision changes:
Dry macular degeneration may affect one or both eyes. If only one eye is affected, you may not notice any changes in your vision because your good eye may compensate for the weak eye.
See your eye doctor if:
These changes may be the first indication of macular degeneration, particularly if you're older than age 50.
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The exact cause of dry macular degeneration is unknown, but the condition develops as the eye ages. Dry macular degeneration affects the macula — an area located at the center of your retina that is responsible for clear vision in your direct line of sight. Over time tissue in your macula may thin and break down.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
At Mayo Clinic, we take the time to listen, to find answers and to provide you the best care.
Doctors will review your medical history and family history, and conduct a comprehensive eye exam to diagnose your condition. Doctors may conduct several tests to diagnose dry macular degeneration, including:
Fluorescein angiogram. During an angiogram of your eye, your doctor injects a colored dye into a vein in your arm. The dye travels to and highlights the blood vessels in your eye.
A special camera takes several pictures of the blood vessels in your eye as the dye travels through the blood vessels. The images will show if you have abnormal blood vessel or retinal abnormalities in your eye, such as those associated with wet macular degeneration.
Fluorescein angiogram. During an angiogram of your eye, your doctor injects a colored dye into a vein in your arm. The dye travels to and highlights the blood vessels in your eye.
A special camera takes several pictures of the blood vessels in your eye as the dye travels through the blood vessels. The images will show if you have abnormal blood vessel or retinal abnormalities in your eye, such as those associated with wet macular degeneration.
Dry macular degeneration is categorized in three stages based on the progression of damage in your eye:
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At any time, dry macular degeneration can progress to wet macular degeneration, which causes rapid vision loss. Doctors can't predict whether you'll develop wet macular degeneration.
Some people with dry macular degeneration may experience severe vision loss.
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The following measures may help you avoid macular degeneration:
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Changing your diet to include more fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods may help prevent vision loss if you've been diagnosed with macular degeneration. Try to:
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Macular degeneration doesn't affect your side (peripheral) vision and usually doesn't cause total blindness. But it can reduce or eliminate your central vision — which is important for driving, reading and recognizing people's faces. It may be beneficial for you to work with a low vision rehabilitation specialist, occupational therapist, your eye doctor and others trained in low vision rehabilitation who can help you find ways to adapt to your changing vision.
Ways to cope with your changing vision might include:
Use magnifiers. A variety of magnifying devices can help you with reading and other close-up work, such as sewing. Magnifying devices may include traditional hand-held magnifying lenses or special magnifying lenses you wear just like glasses.
A closed-circuit television system that uses a video camera to magnify reading material and project it on a video screen also may be an option for you.
Use magnifiers. A variety of magnifying devices can help you with reading and other close-up work, such as sewing. Magnifying devices may include traditional hand-held magnifying lenses or special magnifying lenses you wear just like glasses.
A closed-circuit television system that uses a video camera to magnify reading material and project it on a video screen also may be an option for you.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Factors that may increase your risk of macular degeneration include:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
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