| Macular degeneration is a broad term that refers | | | | central vision loss in people above the age of 65. |
| to diseases related to loss of central vision. In | | | | In the United States, 5% of people in this age |
| spite of being one of the leading causes for | | | | group are affected by AMD. |
| blindness in America, the general awareness | | | | ? If one eye develops macular degeneration, will |
| amongst people about macular degeneration is | | | | the other one also develop the degeneration? |
| very low. As a result, there are a number of | | | | Many patients develop scars in one eye only. The |
| queries that frequently asked about the disease, | | | | chances of the other eye developing a scar are |
| such as questions related to the causes for | | | | 5-10% in a year. |
| macular degeneration, its symptoms and the | | | | ? How is the retina damaged in AMD? |
| various other risk factors involved. | | | | AMD first damages the layer under the retina, |
| Some such frequently asked questions are listed | | | | known as the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). As |
| below: | | | | this layer nourishes the retina through functions |
| ? Can macular degeneration cause blindness? | | | | which include oxygen transport, transfer of |
| No, it only causes loss of central vision and not | | | | nutrients to the retina and possibly the removal of |
| total blindness. However, the amount of vision loss | | | | waste products from the retina. Without this |
| varies from patient to patient. | | | | layer, the retina invariably fails to function |
| ? What are the different types of macular | | | | properly. |
| degeneration? | | | | ? What is the main cause of AMD? |
| There are various types of macular degeneration. | | | | More than 30% AMD cases are hereditary. It is |
| Some of them are age related macular | | | | twice as common in blue eyes than in brown |
| degeneration (AMD). There are other hereditary | | | | eyes, so white people are more prone to it than |
| types as well namely Vitelliform (Bests), Fundus | | | | blacks. However, no single mechanism is |
| Flavimaculatus (Stargardts), Central Areolar | | | | responsible for the degeneration. |
| Choroidal atrophy and Cone degeneration. In | | | | ? Is laser treatment effective for curing macular |
| certain cases, tranquilizers used over long periods | | | | degeneration? |
| can also cause macular degeneration. | | | | Long-term effectiveness of the treatment are |
| ? Is AMD quite common? | | | | not that good yet, and chances of recurrences |
| AMD is the most common cause of irreversible | | | | are pretty common. |